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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: court · key · march · row · patient · pound · object · plane

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. This piece is in a major ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. march — the month
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. key — the most important part
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. object — to protest
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. pound — a weight
  11. object — an aim
  12. court — of a king
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. key — for a lock
  16. court — of law
  17. plane — a tool
  18. march — music
  19. key — in music
  20. court — for sport
  21. row — a line
  22. row — to paddle
  23. object — a thing
  24. patient — a sick person

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