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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 goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  16. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  24. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. march — the month
  3. can — a tin
  4. march — music
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. row — a line
  8. court — of a king
  9. row — to paddle
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. can — to be able to
  13. court — of law
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. straw — to clutch at straws
  16. pound — a weight
  17. march — the month
  18. court — for sport
  19. can — a tin
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. leaves — to go away
  24. row — a quarrel

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