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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 · mouse · pass · net · pitch · march · rash · firm

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  23. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. firm — steady
  3. rash — hasty
  4. pitch — completely
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. firm — decided
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. net — in sport
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. march — the month
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. net — after costs
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. firm — a company
  18. rash — a series
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. march — music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. pitch — a sales talk
  23. pass — a permit
  24. rash — on the skin

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