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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 124 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: patient · dip · pass · toast · racket · band · spell · march

  1. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  6. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. How do you ________________ your surname?
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  14. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  15. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  16. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  17. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. band — a music group
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. dip — to sink
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. spell — a short time
  6. pass — a permit
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. band — a ring
  11. spell — letters
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. dip — to dunk
  14. pass — to spend time
  15. march — music
  16. march — the month
  17. toast — bread
  18. march — the month
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. spell — magic
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. dip — a sauce
  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