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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 120 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: pop · club · season · march · fall · squash · patient · calf

  1. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  2. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. We're almost out of ________________.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — the season
  2. fall — to drop
  3. pop — music
  4. club — for dancing
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. pop — soda
  7. fall — to drop
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. march — the month
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. club — a group
  12. club — for golf
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. season — in sport
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. squash — the sport
  19. pop — to visit
  20. march — music
  21. march — the month
  22. season — of the year
  23. squash — to crush
  24. squash — the vegetable

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