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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. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  3. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. What do you think of the new ________________?
  10. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. I'll be taking the ________________.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. tube — a container
  3. tube — in a tire
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. rock — a stone
  6. deal — to handle
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cabinet — ministers
  10. cabinet — a cupboard
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. court — for sport
  16. rock — music
  17. march — the month
  18. march — music
  19. deal — an agreement
  20. court — of law
  21. tube — the underground
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. court — of a king

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