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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 116 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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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: pound · row · patient · pitch · rule · march · craft · club

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  16. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — a group
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. march — the month
  5. row — a quarrel
  6. club — for dancing
  7. rule — government
  8. row — a line
  9. craft — a skill
  10. club — for golf
  11. rule — a law
  12. pound — a weight
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. pitch — completely
  16. row — to paddle
  17. march — music
  18. march — the month
  19. craft — boats
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. pitch — a sales talk
  24. pound — for dogs

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