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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: cap · pit · cue · dip · patient · march · leaves · bound

  1. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  2. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  8. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  22. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — lets stay
  2. dip — to dunk
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cap — a hat
  5. march — music
  6. march — the month
  7. bound — obliged
  8. leaves — of a tree
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. cap — of ice
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. bound — certain
  13. cue — for pool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pit — a hole
  17. dip — a sauce
  18. cue — a signal
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. bound — tied together
  21. dip — to sink
  22. cap — a lid
  23. cue — a hint
  24. march — the month

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