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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: mouse · pop · object · club · march · patient · mine · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. You don't need to ________________ round.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. She's sitting on a gold ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pop — music
  3. object — an aim
  4. march — the month
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. march — the month
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. club — for golf
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. pop — soda
  11. pop — to visit
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. march — music
  14. object — to protest
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rock — music
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. object — a thing
  19. club — a group
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. club — for dancing
  24. mine — for digging

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