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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: can · pitch · wind · face · roll · mine · stick · patient

  1. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  2. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  3. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. We're on a ________________ here.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — a tin
  2. wind — moving air
  3. pitch — completely
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mine — belonging to me
  6. can — to be able to
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. face — part of the head
  9. roll — on a roll
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. roll — a cake
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. roll — a list
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. face — to confront
  18. can — a tin
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. wind — moving air
  22. face — to point toward
  23. mine — for digging
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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