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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  6. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  17. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. suit — to fit
  3. scale — in music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. race — humankind
  6. race — a contest
  7. pass — a permit
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. race — the arms race
  13. season — of the year
  14. scale — size or range
  15. march — music
  16. suit — in cards
  17. suit — clothes
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. season — in sport
  20. march — the month
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. march — the month
  23. bore — to tire
  24. scale — for weighing

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