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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: pitch · patient · race · chip · cell · object · suit · lean

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  4. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  5. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  6. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  7. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  8. He was locked up in a ________________.
  9. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  10. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  11. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cell — a phone
  4. object — an aim
  5. lean — to bend
  6. chip — in a computer
  7. lean — to rest against
  8. cell — in a prison
  9. object — to protest
  10. pitch — completely
  11. chip — to eat
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. race — humankind
  14. race — a contest
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. object — a thing
  17. chip — for betting
  18. race — the arms race
  19. suit — clothes
  20. suit — to fit
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. lean — thin
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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