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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  3. Have you met the new head ________________?
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  7. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  8. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  9. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. coach — a trainer
  4. net — for catching
  5. rule — government
  6. file — a document
  7. coach — pulled by horses
  8. file — a line of people
  9. bear — the animal
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ruler — a monarch
  13. net — in sport
  14. file — a tool
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bear — the animal
  17. march — music
  18. rule — a law
  19. rule — to rule out
  20. net — after costs
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. march — the month
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. coach — a trainer

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