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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  6. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  7. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  13. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  14. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. march — music
  3. wind — moving air
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. pound — a weight
  6. cap — of ice
  7. cap — a lid
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. march — the month
  10. rock — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wind — moving air
  13. pound — for dogs
  14. toast — the most admired
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. club — for golf
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cap — a hat
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wind — to turn a key
  21. toast — bread
  22. march — the month
  23. club — a group
  24. rock — a stone

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