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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
468
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: land · pitch · band · patient · rush · mark · content · stick

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  6. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. When are we going to ________________?
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  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. land — a country
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. band — a ring
  6. mark — a trace
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. pitch — completely
  10. land — to come down
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. rush — hurry
  16. content — the amount
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. land — ground
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mark — a grade
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. content — happy
  23. band — a music group
  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