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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 · patient · pitch · clip · deal · stand

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  5. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I can't ________________ this cold.
  15. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. march — the month
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. stand — for spectators
  5. pitch — a sales talk
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. march — music
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. clip — to cut
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — completely
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. stand — to bear
  15. clip — a video
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. march — the month
  18. clip — for paper

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