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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. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Don't do anything ________________.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  14. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. You don't need to ________________ round.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. rash — hasty
  3. march — music
  4. rash — a series
  5. rule — a law
  6. rest — what's left
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rest — what's left
  9. pop — soda
  10. present — the time now
  11. rule — to rule out
  12. pop — music
  13. rule — government
  14. club — a group
  15. club — for golf
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. pop — to visit
  18. march — the month
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rest — a break
  21. march — the month
  22. present — a gift
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for dancing

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