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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. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  5. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  6. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — a lid
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. cap — of ice
  5. rush — to hurry
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. march — the month
  8. swing — music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. can — to be able to
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. swing — to play on
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. can — a tin
  18. can — a tin
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fork — in a road
  22. swing — in golf
  23. cap — a hat
  24. rush — hurry

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