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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. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  2. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  3. The tickets are free of ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. The water is too ________________.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  20. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. track — a path
  2. cold — the Cold War
  3. charge — a price
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. charge — electricity
  8. march — the month
  9. cold — not warm
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. cue — for pool
  14. cue — a signal
  15. charge — in control
  16. track — to keep track
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. march — music
  19. mark — to pay attention
  20. cold — an illness
  21. track — a song
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. mark — a grade
  24. mark — a trace

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