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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: mate · mine · patient · pitch · spell · date · cap · straw

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  17. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Have you settled on a ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mate — to breed
  3. cap — a hat
  4. mine — for digging
  5. spell — a short time
  6. cap — a lid
  7. spell — magic
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. mate — a friend
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. date — the fruit
  16. mine — an explosive
  17. straw — dry grass
  18. spell — letters
  19. cap — of ice
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mate — a partner
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pitch — completely
  24. date — on the calendar

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