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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: bay · march · patient · jam · cabinet · deal · straw · tube

  1. My mare is ________________ in color.
  2. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  11. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. What do you think of the new ________________?
  15. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — a horse colour
  2. cabinet — ministers
  3. march — the month
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. deal — to handle
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. straw — a straw man
  11. tube — in a tire
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. cabinet — ministers
  15. cabinet — a cupboard
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. march — music
  18. straw — to clutch at straws
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. tube — the underground
  21. tube — a container
  22. march — the month
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. jam — a tight spot

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