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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. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  16. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  22. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. shower — a meteor shower
  5. rash — a series
  6. march — the month
  7. key — in music
  8. shower — to wash
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. cue — for pool
  11. shower — rain
  12. present — a gift
  13. key — for a lock
  14. rash — hasty
  15. trunk — of a car
  16. key — the most important part
  17. present — there
  18. march — the month
  19. present — the time now
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. trunk — of an elephant
  22. rash — on the skin
  23. cue — a hint
  24. cue — a signal

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