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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: patient · mate · pitcher · fork · roll · hide · suit · club

  1. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  6. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. Have you found your soul ________________?
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. suit — to fit
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. fork — to eat with
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. club — for golf
  8. mate — to breed
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. club — for dancing
  11. suit — in cards
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. roll — a list
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. mate — a friend
  17. club — a group
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. suit — clothes
  21. roll — a cake
  22. mate — a partner
  23. fork — in a road
  24. hide — animal skin

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