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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 116 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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  24. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. spring — a coil
  3. march — music
  4. fork — a garden tool
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. sharp — clever
  8. mug — a cup
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. mug — a face
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. spring — of water
  13. sharp — with an edge
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fall — to drop
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. march — the month
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. mug — to rob
  21. fall — to drop
  22. spring — the season
  23. fall — the season
  24. fork — to eat with

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