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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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · cap · charge · march · firm · hand · pitch · straw

  1. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  3. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  15. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  16. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  17. The tickets are free of ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. The polar ice ________________ is melting.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. cap — a lid
  3. firm — decided
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. straw — to clutch at straws
  7. firm — a company
  8. charge — electricity
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. firm — steady
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. march — the month
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. straw — dry grass
  15. pitch — a sports field
  16. charge — in control
  17. charge — a price
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. hand — help
  20. march — music
  21. pitch — completely
  22. march — the month
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — of ice

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