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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. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  2. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. face — to point toward
  2. march — the month
  3. ball — a dance
  4. mug — a face
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. band — a ring
  7. face — part of the head
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. band — a rubber band
  10. scale — in music
  11. mug — a cup
  12. march — music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. march — the month
  16. pit — a hole
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. ball — a great time
  20. face — to confront
  21. mug — to rob
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. band — a music group
  24. scale — size or range

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