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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.

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: calf · season · patient · tube · bank · pit · march · ground

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  20. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. tube — a container
  4. pit — in a race
  5. ground — crushed
  6. ground — a position
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. march — the month
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. bank — for money
  12. tube — the underground
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. march — music
  16. season — in sport
  17. calf — of the leg
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bank — for money
  20. bank — of a river
  21. march — the month
  22. season — of the year
  23. pit — a hole
  24. ground — the earth

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