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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: patient · pitch · nail · last · game · stand · snap · file

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  14. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  15. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  18. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. last — to go on
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. game — wild animals
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. file — a line of people
  9. snap — to click
  10. last — finally
  11. last — final
  12. stand — to bear
  13. stand — on your feet
  14. snap — to snap out of it
  15. file — a document
  16. file — a tool
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. nail — on a finger
  19. game — a match
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitch — completely

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