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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: firm · capital · fall · ruler · land · pitch · patient · perch

  1. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  2. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  13. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  14. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  18. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. pitch — completely
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. firm — steady
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. land — to come down
  10. land — ground
  11. firm — decided
  12. fall — to drop
  13. pitch — a sports field
  14. perch — the fish
  15. firm — a company
  16. capital — a city
  17. capital — a big letter
  18. ruler — for measuring
  19. fall — to drop
  20. fall — the season
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. capital — money
  24. land — a country

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