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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: march · patient · pitch · clip · deal · stand · craft · spell

  1. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  2. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. How do you ________________ your surname?
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. spell — a short time
  2. clip — for paper
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. pitch — a sports field
  5. spell — magic
  6. clip — a video
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. march — music
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. craft — boats
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. march — the month
  14. stand — on your feet
  15. pitch — completely
  16. clip — to cut
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. deal — to handle
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. spell — letters
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. craft — a skill
  23. march — the month
  24. stand — to bear

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