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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.

Make a worksheet

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: suit · object · lean · pit · pitcher · patient · file · arm

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  12. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. He is an ace ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. object — to protest
  3. object — an aim
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. suit — in cards
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. object — a thing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. file — a tool
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. lean — to bend
  12. lean — to rest against
  13. file — a document
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lean — thin
  16. pit — a hole
  17. file — a line of people
  18. pit — in a race
  19. suit — clothes
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. pitcher — in baseball
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. arm — a part of something

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