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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: fine · pitch · fan · scale · staff · stand · march · patient

  1. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. I can't ________________ this cold.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. march — the month
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. fine — all right
  8. stand — for spectators
  9. staff — employees
  10. march — music
  11. staff — a stick
  12. fine — high quality
  13. scale — in music
  14. march — the month
  15. scale — size or range
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — completely
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. stand — to bear
  24. scale — for weighing

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