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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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468
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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. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  14. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to dunk
  2. march — music
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. fork — in a road
  8. kid — to tease
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stand — for spectators
  12. kid — child
  13. plane — in geometry
  14. bowl — a football final
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. dip — to sink
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. march — the month
  20. march — the month
  21. fork — a garden tool
  22. stand — to bear
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. plane — a tool

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