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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. You don't need to ________________ round.
  2. I'll be taking the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  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. pop — to visit
  2. tube — the underground
  3. march — the month
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. deal — to handle
  6. present — there
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. present — the time now
  10. tube — in a tire
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. wave — with your hand
  13. pop — soda
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. tube — a container
  18. present — a gift
  19. march — the month
  20. pop — music
  21. march — music
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. patient — a sick person
  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