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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  9. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  19. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  20. We're almost out of ________________.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  24. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. net — after costs
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. mark — to pay attention
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. root — the cause
  9. ruler — for measuring
  10. net — in sport
  11. mark — a grade
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bass — low music
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. mark — a trace
  16. pop — to visit
  17. march — music
  18. pop — music
  19. root — of a plant
  20. pop — soda
  21. root — of a word
  22. net — for catching
  23. march — the month
  24. march — the month

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