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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 124 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: rock · squash · game · patient · track · sharp · pitch · march

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  16. That was a fun ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. squash — to crush
  4. rock — a stone
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. track — a path
  7. pitch — completely
  8. march — music
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. squash — the sport
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. march — the month
  13. pitch — a sales talk
  14. game — wild animals
  15. rock — music
  16. game — a match
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. track — a song
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. sharp — clever
  21. track — to keep track
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. march — the month
  24. patient — calm and waiting

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com