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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 116 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 train ________________ at six o'clock.
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  18. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  19. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — to go away
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. pitch — a sales talk
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. track — a path
  6. march — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. track — a song
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. race — a contest
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. march — the month
  15. band — a music group
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. band — a ring
  18. race — humankind
  19. track — to keep track
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. pitch — completely
  22. march — the month
  23. pound — a weight
  24. race — the arms race

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