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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: pitcher · prune · snap · pit · current · patient · can · staff

  1. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. He is an ace ________________.
  5. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  6. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. The old man leaned on his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. can — to be able to
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pitcher — in baseball
  5. pit — a hole
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. prune — to trim
  8. current — electric
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. snap — to speak sharply
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. staff — employees
  14. can — a tin
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. current — happening now
  18. staff — employees
  19. current — of water
  20. can — a tin
  21. snap — to click
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pit — in a race
  24. staff — a stick

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