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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  7. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  8. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. pit — a hole
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. pit — in a race
  5. march — the month
  6. pass — to spend time
  7. chest — of your body
  8. chest — of your body
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. ground — crushed
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. pound — to hit hard
  15. chest — a box
  16. pass — a permit
  17. ground — a position
  18. chip — for betting
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. march — the month
  21. pass — to succeed
  22. ground — the earth
  23. pound — a weight
  24. chip — to eat

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