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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 120 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: land · firm · march · staff · patient · plane · pound · rash

  1. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  2. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ took off on time.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  19. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — to hit hard
  2. staff — employees
  3. firm — steady
  4. march — the month
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. firm — a company
  7. land — to come down
  8. march — the month
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. plane — an aircraft
  11. staff — employees
  12. rash — a series
  13. firm — decided
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. land — a country
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. land — ground
  18. plane — a tool
  19. pound — for dogs
  20. staff — a stick
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. march — music
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rash — hasty

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