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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: row · stick · race · toast · pitch · patient · mate · firm

  1. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — a sales talk
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. row — a quarrel
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. firm — decided
  8. race — a contest
  9. firm — steady
  10. toast — the most admired
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — completely
  13. mate — to breed
  14. mate — a partner
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. race — the arms race
  17. mate — a friend
  18. race — humankind
  19. row — a line
  20. toast — bread
  21. firm — a company
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pitch — a sports field

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