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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
468
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: trunk · pitch · patient · fan · roll · date · cap · hide

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  7. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  8. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  9. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  21. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  22. Have you settled on a ________________?
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. The elephant has a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. pitch — completely
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. cap — a hat
  7. pitch — a sports field
  8. trunk — of a tree
  9. roll — a list
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. roll — a cake
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. date — the fruit
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. cap — of ice
  21. trunk — of a car
  22. date — on the calendar
  23. cap — a lid
  24. trunk — of an elephant

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