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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  23. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. degree — from a university
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. jam — to spread on bread
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. march — the month
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. deal — to handle
  17. degree — an amount
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. march — the month
  20. pound — a weight
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. calf — a young animal
  23. degree — temperature
  24. march — music

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