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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: firm · squash · pitcher · nail · pit · patient · board · tube

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. I'll be taking the ________________.
  18. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  19. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  22. The ________________ went through the wall.
  23. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  24. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. nail — on a finger
  3. tube — a container
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. pit — a hole
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. board — a flat piece
  14. firm — a company
  15. squash — to crush
  16. firm — steady
  17. tube — the underground
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. board — a committee
  20. squash — the sport
  21. firm — decided
  22. nail — for a hammer
  23. board — to get on
  24. pit — in a race

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