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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. Have you settled on a ________________?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  4. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. We're almost out of ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. date — on the calendar
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. march — the month
  7. pop — to visit
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. saw — the tool
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. date — the fruit
  12. march — music
  13. saw — the tool
  14. saw — past of 'see'
  15. firm — steady
  16. leaves — lets stay
  17. firm — decided
  18. pop — music
  19. pop — soda
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. march — the month
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. firm — a company

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