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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: suit · patient · drill · pop · bulb · march · hide · ball

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. You don't need to ________________ round.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  14. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  15. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. When will it ________________ you to start?
  19. I've got to change the light ________________.
  20. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. march — music
  3. ball — a dance
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. drill — a practice
  6. pop — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pop — soda
  9. march — the month
  10. pop — to visit
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. drill — the tool
  14. hide — to keep secret
  15. hide — animal skin
  16. suit — clothes
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. suit — to fit
  19. bulb — for light
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. ball — a great time
  22. drill — army training
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. suit — in cards

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