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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 120 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. A ________________ is just a dried plum.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. march — music
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fine — all right
  9. prune — to trim
  10. pound — a weight
  11. staff — employees
  12. can — a tin
  13. fine — high quality
  14. can — to be able to
  15. staff — employees
  16. can — a tin
  17. prune — to trim
  18. march — the month
  19. fan — to cool the air
  20. staff — a stick
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. prune — the fruit

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