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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.

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: pass · perch · ground · bulb · pitch · rest · pitcher · patient

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The light ________________ burned out.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. rest — a break
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bulb — of a plant
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. pass — a permit
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. ground — crushed
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. rest — what's left
  14. perch — the fish
  15. rest — what's left
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bulb — for light
  20. bulb — for light
  21. ground — the earth
  22. pass — to succeed
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. pitch — a sales talk

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