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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. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  19. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  20. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — to breed
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. net — for catching
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. ruler — for measuring
  7. march — music
  8. pitch — completely
  9. mate — a friend
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wax — to grow
  12. march — the month
  13. net — after costs
  14. march — the month
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. pitch — a sales talk
  19. wax — for sculpting
  20. net — in sport
  21. mate — a partner
  22. wax — in the ear
  23. chair — a leader
  24. patient — a sick person

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