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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: patient · racket · bay · spell · race · march · game · bear

  1. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. That was a fun ________________.
  15. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. march — music
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. spell — a short time
  7. spell — magic
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. march — the month
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. race — the arms race
  14. game — a match
  15. bay — to keep at bay
  16. game — wild animals
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. spell — letters
  19. march — the month
  20. race — humankind
  21. bear — the animal
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. race — a contest

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