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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. He is an ace ________________.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Where did you ________________ them?
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. march — music
  3. band — a music group
  4. mug — a cup
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. band — a ring
  8. pass — to succeed
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pitcher — in baseball
  13. rash — hasty
  14. mug — a face
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. march — the month
  17. pass — a permit
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. rash — a series
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mug — to rob
  24. march — the month

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