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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. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  4. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  5. That was a fun ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. march — the month
  3. pass — to succeed
  4. game — a kind of play
  5. game — a match
  6. game — wild animals
  7. club — for dancing
  8. club — a group
  9. kick — a thrill
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — the month
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. pass — a permit
  21. march — music
  22. kick — in football
  23. club — for golf
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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