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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  6. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  10. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. We're on a ________________ here.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. race — the arms race
  3. march — music
  4. court — of law
  5. bark — of a tree
  6. mate — a friend
  7. march — the month
  8. march — the month
  9. mate — to breed
  10. bark — a dog's sound
  11. court — of a king
  12. roll — on a roll
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. swing — music
  15. court — for sport
  16. bark — to shout
  17. race — a contest
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. race — humankind
  20. swing — to play on
  21. mate — a partner
  22. swing — in golf
  23. roll — a cake
  24. roll — a list

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