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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  8. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  19. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  20. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. My mare is ________________ in color.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. mark — a grade
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. mark — a trace
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. march — the month
  7. pass — to spend time
  8. trunk — of a car
  9. march — music
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bay — a part of the sea
  12. land — ground
  13. rock — music
  14. land — to come down
  15. march — the month
  16. land — a country
  17. rock — a stone
  18. bay — to keep at bay
  19. trunk — of a tree
  20. trunk — of an elephant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pass — a permit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bay — a horse colour

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