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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: pitch · spring · staff · roll · bay · key · patient · tube

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. My mare is ________________ in color.
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  14. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. staff — employees
  4. staff — employees
  5. tube — a container
  6. spring — a coil
  7. spring — of water
  8. key — in music
  9. bay — a horse colour
  10. pitch — completely
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. tube — in a tire
  14. roll — a cake
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. key — for a lock
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. staff — a stick
  20. spring — the season
  21. tube — the underground
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. key — the most important part
  24. roll — a list

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