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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: pitch · patient · mate · leaves · land · current · trunk · rest

  1. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. current — electric
  3. pitch — completely
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. land — a country
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. current — of water
  9. rest — what's left
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mate — a friend
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. current — happening now
  14. land — ground
  15. land — to come down
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. rest — what's left
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. rest — a break
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mate — a partner
  23. trunk — of a tree
  24. trunk — of a car

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