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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. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  16. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. ground — crushed
  4. present — a gift
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. march — the month
  8. ground — a position
  9. present — the time now
  10. mark — a grade
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ground — the earth
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. craft — a skill
  16. rest — what's left
  17. present — there
  18. mark — a trace
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. march — music
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. band — a ring
  23. march — the month
  24. craft — boats

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