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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. There's no middle ________________.
  4. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. drill — army training
  3. ground — a position
  4. root — of a word
  5. drill — a practice
  6. cue — a signal
  7. drill — the tool
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. ground — crushed
  11. rock — music
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. root — of a plant
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rock — a stone
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cue — for pool
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. march — music
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cue — a hint
  24. root — the cause

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