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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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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: snap · pitch · roll · band · spring · calf · mouse · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  4. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  5. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  22. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  23. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. band — a ring
  3. spring — the season
  4. snap — to speak sharply
  5. roll — a cake
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. spring — a coil
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. snap — to snap out of it
  14. band — a music group
  15. pitch — completely
  16. calf — of the leg
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. roll — a list
  22. band — a rubber band
  23. snap — to click
  24. mouse — for a computer

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