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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  15. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  16. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  21. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  22. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. toast — bread
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. root — the cause
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. track — a path
  10. track — to keep track
  11. pitch — completely
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. march — the month
  14. leaves — of a tree
  15. wind — moving air
  16. toast — the most admired
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. root — of a plant
  20. march — the month
  21. wind — moving air
  22. track — a song
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. root — of a word

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