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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 120 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. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. This piece is in a major ________________.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. key — for a lock
  3. fine — high quality
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. march — music
  8. current — of water
  9. key — in music
  10. current — electric
  11. mate — a friend
  12. mate — a partner
  13. field — a subject
  14. current — happening now
  15. march — the month
  16. mate — to breed
  17. field — farmland
  18. fine — all right
  19. key — the most important part
  20. snap — to click
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. field — for sport
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. snap — to snap out of it

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