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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
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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: spell · patient · pitch · chair · last · hand · pass · cap

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  8. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  9. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  21. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. last — final
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cap — of ice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chair — to sit on
  8. cap — a hat
  9. cap — a lid
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. last — finally
  12. pitch — completely
  13. spell — a short time
  14. last — to go on
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hand — help
  17. hand — part of the body
  18. spell — letters
  19. spell — magic
  20. hand — in cards
  21. chair — a professorship
  22. chair — a leader
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pass — to succeed

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