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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 116 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: mate · march · patient · last · scale · bear · track · rock

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  5. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  11. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  14. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. Have you found your soul ________________?
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  19. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  20. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bear — the animal
  3. last — to go on
  4. scale — for weighing
  5. march — the month
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. scale — size or range
  8. track — a path
  9. track — a song
  10. march — the month
  11. rock — music
  12. last — final
  13. mate — to breed
  14. track — to keep track
  15. scale — in music
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. mate — a partner
  18. rock — to move gently
  19. rock — a stone
  20. march — music
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. last — finally
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mate — a friend

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