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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. I can't ________________ this cold.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. hide — to keep secret
  3. perch — the fish
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. current — happening now
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. march — the month
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. prune — to trim
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. stand — to bear
  17. current — of water
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. prune — to trim
  20. hide — animal skin
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. deal — to handle
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. current — electric

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