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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: march · face · stem · patient · pitch · dip · coach · capital

  1. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  17. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. coach — a trainer
  3. face — to point toward
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. capital — money
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. pitch — completely
  8. pitch — a sports field
  9. dip — to sink
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. march — the month
  14. face — part of the head
  15. face — to confront
  16. stem — to come from
  17. march — the month
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. capital — a city
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. patient — a sick person

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