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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  7. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  19. Where did you ________________ them?
  20. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. march — music
  3. jam — in traffic
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spring — the season
  6. ball — a round shape
  7. mug — a cup
  8. staff — employees
  9. spring — a coil
  10. ball — a great time
  11. object — a thing
  12. staff — a stick
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — the month
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. object — an aim
  18. object — to protest
  19. mug — to rob
  20. spring — of water
  21. ball — a dance
  22. march — the month
  23. staff — employees
  24. mug — a face

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