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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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. You don't need to ________________ round.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bass — low music
  3. spell — letters
  4. march — the month
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. march — the month
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. spell — magic
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. mine — for digging
  15. march — music
  16. spell — a short time
  17. bass — the fish
  18. pop — soda
  19. rule — a law
  20. rule — government
  21. pop — music
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. pop — to visit

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