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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: patient · pop · net · chip · pitch · bay · file · object

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. We're almost out of ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  19. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  20. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  21. My mare is ________________ in color.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. object — to protest
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bay — to keep at bay
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. pop — to visit
  9. object — an aim
  10. file — a document
  11. net — in sport
  12. pop — soda
  13. chip — for betting
  14. chip — to eat
  15. net — after costs
  16. object — a thing
  17. net — for catching
  18. chip — in a computer
  19. file — a tool
  20. file — a line of people
  21. bay — a horse colour
  22. pitch — completely
  23. pop — music
  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