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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: march · suit · stand · chip · present · patient

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. march — music
  3. suit — in cards
  4. present — there
  5. march — the month
  6. stand — to bear
  7. suit — clothes
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. present — the time now
  13. suit — to fit
  14. chip — for betting
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. march — the month
  18. chip — to eat

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