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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  12. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  13. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  16. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  20. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  24. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. march — the month
  3. swing — in golf
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. current — of water
  6. current — electric
  7. current — happening now
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. snap — to click
  12. key — the most important part
  13. bowl — a football final
  14. key — for a lock
  15. snap — to snap out of it
  16. bank — for money
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. swing — to play on
  19. bank — of a river
  20. swing — music
  21. march — the month
  22. key — in music
  23. snap — to speak sharply
  24. bank — for money

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