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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. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  3. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  11. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. wake — before a funeral
  3. safe — a strongbox
  4. wake — a trail
  5. safe — out of danger
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. safe — out of danger
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a music group
  10. wake — to stop sleeping
  11. bear — the animal
  12. club — for dancing
  13. band — a ring
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. club — a group
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. march — the month
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. club — for golf
  21. march — the month
  22. bear — the animal
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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