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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. craft — boats
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. season — of the year
  5. march — the month
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. craft — a skill
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. march — the month
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. arm — a part of something
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mark — a grade
  19. mark — a trace
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. craft — a handicraft
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. march — music

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