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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 sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  8. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  9. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. bark — to shout
  2. march — the month
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. pitch — completely
  5. bat — the animal
  6. current — electric
  7. bat — for baseball
  8. bark — a dog's sound
  9. bark — of a tree
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. court — of a king
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. march — the month
  14. bat — in an idiom
  15. court — for sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. march — music
  18. court — of law
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. pitch — a sales talk
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. current — of water
  24. current — happening now

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