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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: patient · foot · face · pop · march · pitch · club · spell

  1. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. How do you ________________ your surname?
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — to visit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. club — a group
  4. march — the month
  5. spell — letters
  6. pop — soda
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pitch — completely
  9. foot — a measure
  10. club — for dancing
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. face — to point toward
  14. pop — music
  15. club — for golf
  16. march — music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. spell — magic
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. march — the month
  22. pitch — a sports field
  23. spell — a short time
  24. face — to confront

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