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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: squash · cold · patient · suit · pitch · track · fan · race

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. The water is too ________________.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  8. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  11. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. suit — clothes
  3. cold — not warm
  4. suit — in cards
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. cold — the Cold War
  8. squash — the vegetable
  9. race — the arms race
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. track — a song
  12. race — a contest
  13. race — humankind
  14. suit — to fit
  15. squash — the sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. fan — to cool the air
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. track — a path
  21. track — to keep track
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — to crush
  24. cold — an illness

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