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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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. There's no middle ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — the month
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. court — of a king
  5. net — for catching
  6. court — for sport
  7. track — a song
  8. court — of law
  9. track — to keep track
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. net — in sport
  12. march — music
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. ground — crushed
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. fan — to cool the air
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. net — after costs
  21. track — a path
  22. ground — the earth
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. ground — a position

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