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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. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  8. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. suit — to fit
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pass — to spend time
  5. march — music
  6. bat — the animal
  7. prune — the fruit
  8. suit — in cards
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. pass — a permit
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. march — the month
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. cell — in biology
  18. suit — clothes
  19. prune — to trim
  20. prune — to trim
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. bat — in an idiom

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