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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. march — music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. march — the month
  5. jam — in traffic
  6. lean — to bend
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. pound — for dogs
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. toast — a drink to someone
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. lean — to rest against
  14. pound — a weight
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. jam — a tight spot
  17. drill — the tool
  18. march — the month
  19. toast — bread
  20. drill — army training
  21. lean — thin
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. drill — a practice
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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