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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 · ruler · mouse · pitch · kick · staff · mine · patient

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  6. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  9. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  16. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. pitch — a sports field
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. kick — with a leg
  7. march — the month
  8. kick — in football
  9. mine — an explosive
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. staff — employees
  12. mine — for digging
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. march — the month
  15. ruler — a monarch
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. staff — a stick
  21. pitch — completely
  22. march — music
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. kick — a thrill

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