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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 120 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: club · mouse · kid · spell · present · pitch · squash · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  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. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — to crush
  4. spell — letters
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. present — there
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. pitch — completely
  10. squash — the sport
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. kid — child
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. spell — magic
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. club — for golf
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for dancing
  19. kid — to tease
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. present — the time now
  22. present — a gift
  23. spell — a short time
  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