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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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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: rest · ruler · pitch · cap · track · march · field · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rest — a break
  6. field — farmland
  7. track — a song
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. pitch — a sports field
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. field — a subject
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pitch — a sales talk
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. cap — a hat
  17. field — for sport
  18. track — a path
  19. march — music
  20. cap — a lid
  21. ruler — a monarch
  22. rest — what's left
  23. pitch — completely
  24. track — to keep track

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