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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. I'll be taking the ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  17. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  18. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  19. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  22. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the meat?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. tube — a container
  4. sharp — clever
  5. season — of the year
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — the month
  9. march — music
  10. key — in music
  11. march — the month
  12. bank — for money
  13. tube — the underground
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bank — for money
  17. tube — in a tire
  18. key — the most important part
  19. key — for a lock
  20. stock — shares
  21. stock — goods
  22. bank — of a river
  23. season — to add flavour
  24. sharp — exactly

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