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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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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: season · patient · foot · march · present · kid · rock · club

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  12. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. march — the month
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. rock — music
  5. present — the time now
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kid — child
  9. present — there
  10. club — for dancing
  11. march — the month
  12. foot — a measure
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. present — a gift
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. season — in sport
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. club — a group
  20. season — of the year
  21. club — for golf
  22. march — music
  23. kid — to tease
  24. rock — a stone

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