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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  7. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  10. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  11. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  12. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. My father caught me by the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. track — to keep track
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. march — the month
  6. stem — a stem cell
  7. rule — to rule out
  8. craft — boats
  9. stem — to come from
  10. march — music
  11. stem — of a plant
  12. rule — government
  13. track — a path
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pop — music
  17. rule — a law
  18. craft — a skill
  19. pop — to visit
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. march — the month
  22. pop — soda
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. track — a song

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