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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · stand · bore · patient · rash · fork · march · club

  1. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  15. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. There's no middle ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — on your feet
  2. stand — to bear
  3. bore — to tire
  4. club — a group
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rash — hasty
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. ground — crushed
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. rash — a series
  12. bore — to drill
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fork — in a road
  15. bore — gave birth
  16. march — music
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. ground — a position
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ground — the earth
  21. march — the month
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. march — the month
  24. rash — on the skin

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