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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 120 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. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Have you found your soul ________________?
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  9. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. We're almost out of ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  20. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. wind — to turn a key
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. mate — to breed
  4. march — music
  5. mate — a partner
  6. wind — moving air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. wind — moving air
  9. cue — a signal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. march — the month
  12. fork — in a road
  13. pop — music
  14. pop — to visit
  15. pop — soda
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fork — to eat with
  18. march — the month
  19. mate — a friend
  20. fine — a penalty
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cue — a hint
  23. fine — all right
  24. cue — for pool

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