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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 112 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: snap · ruler · patient · nail · march · suit · club · bass

  1. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. The ________________ went through the wall.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  13. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. bass — the fish
  3. march — the month
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. march — music
  7. snap — to click
  8. club — for dancing
  9. march — the month
  10. nail — on a finger
  11. club — for golf
  12. ruler — for measuring
  13. snap — to speak sharply
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bass — the instrument
  16. suit — to fit
  17. ruler — for measuring
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ruler — a monarch
  20. bass — low music
  21. snap — to snap out of it
  22. suit — clothes
  23. club — a group
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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