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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: patient · band · board · present · wax · pitch · hand · pass

  1. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  2. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  3. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  4. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  20. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  21. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.

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

Answer key

  1. board — to get on
  2. wax — to grow
  3. pass — a permit
  4. band — a ring
  5. present — a gift
  6. hand — help
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. pitch — completely
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. band — a music group
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. hand — in cards
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. present — the time now
  19. board — a flat piece
  20. wax — in the ear
  21. wax — for sculpting
  22. board — a committee
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — there

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