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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: pitch · foot · band · net · rock · sharp · hand · patient

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  16. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitch — completely
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. rock — to move gently
  6. net — in sport
  7. band — a ring
  8. hand — help
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. band — a music group
  11. net — after costs
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. net — for catching
  16. sharp — clever
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. hand — part of the body
  19. rock — a stone
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. rock — music
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. hand — in cards

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