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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 cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The ________________ market has crashed.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. When was this ________________ built?
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. kid — child
  3. march — the month
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. board — to get on
  6. branch — a division
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. suit — to fit
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. branch — of a tree
  12. stock — goods
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. march — music
  16. kid — to tease
  17. stock — shares
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. branch — of a bank
  20. march — the month
  21. suit — in cards
  22. board — a committee
  23. temple — a place of worship
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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