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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: march · fork · fall · bear · patient · racket

  1. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  5. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  14. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. bear — to put up with
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. march — music
  5. bear — the animal
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. fall — the season
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. fall — to drop
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. march — the month
  14. bear — the animal
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. march — the month
  17. fall — to drop
  18. patient — a sick person

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