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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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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: rest · toast · ruler · pitcher · mug · patient · stick · pitch

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. pitch — completely
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rest — a break
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — what's left
  10. mug — a face
  11. mug — to rob
  12. toast — the most admired
  13. toast — bread
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. rest — what's left
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. stick — a piece of wood
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. mug — a cup
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — for measuring

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