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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 116 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. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  5. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. I'll be taking the ________________.
  24. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. march — the month
  4. field — for sport
  5. nail — on a finger
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. march — the month
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. field — farmland
  15. field — a subject
  16. tube — a container
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. stock — shares
  20. board — to get on
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. tube — the underground
  24. board — a committee

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