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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  13. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  24. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. ball — a dance
  5. mug — a face
  6. mug — a cup
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. mug — to rob
  11. squash — the sport
  12. squash — to crush
  13. stem — of a plant
  14. mate — a partner
  15. ball — a great time
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. mate — a friend
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. stem — to come from
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. squash — the vegetable
  24. mate — to breed

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