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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: clip · stand · chip · wake · pitch · plane · bank · patient

  1. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  7. The ________________ took off on time.
  8. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  13. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  21. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. Hold the papers together with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. stand — on your feet
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. bank — for money
  7. plane — an aircraft
  8. chip — for betting
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — a trail
  12. clip — a video
  13. bank — for money
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. chip — to eat
  17. plane — a tool
  18. bank — of a river
  19. stand — to bear
  20. plane — in geometry
  21. clip — to cut
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. pitch — completely
  24. 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