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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  11. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  16. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. present — a gift
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pass — a permit
  6. net — for catching
  7. pass — to succeed
  8. net — after costs
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. trunk — of a tree
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. chair — a leader
  14. present — the time now
  15. net — in sport
  16. cabinet — a cupboard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — the month
  19. pass — to spend time
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. present — there
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. march — the month
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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