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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 ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Did you ________________ the meat?
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — a trainer
  2. mark — a trace
  3. rest — what's left
  4. mark — a grade
  5. march — the month
  6. degree — from a university
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. degree — temperature
  9. present — there
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. season — of the year
  13. rest — a break
  14. march — the month
  15. season — to add flavour
  16. season — in sport
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. present — a gift
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. degree — an amount
  21. rest — what's left
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. present — the time now
  24. march — music

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