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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 band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  4. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  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. march — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. fork — to eat with
  4. fork — in a road
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. chip — to eat
  7. staff — employees
  8. staff — employees
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. squash — the sport
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. staff — a stick
  13. squash — to crush
  14. present — the time now
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. ruler — for measuring
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. chip — for betting
  19. march — the month
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. present — a gift
  22. ruler — a monarch
  23. present — there
  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