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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  3. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  4. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I've got to change the light ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. rock — a stone
  3. pound — for dogs
  4. track — a path
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. march — the month
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. march — music
  9. march — the month
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. track — to keep track
  13. track — a song
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. court — for sport
  16. pound — to hit hard
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bulb — for light
  19. court — of law
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pound — a weight
  22. bulb — for light
  23. rock — music
  24. court — of a king

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