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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  18. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  19. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  23. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. leaves — to go away
  3. bear — the animal
  4. march — the month
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. ball — a dance
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. ball — a great time
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bear — to put up with
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. cue — a signal
  17. bear — the animal
  18. cue — for pool
  19. jam — a tight spot
  20. cue — a hint
  21. march — the month
  22. mine — belonging to me
  23. march — music
  24. patient — a sick person

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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