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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: march · court · rock · bowl · ball · rush · patient · rash

  1. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  6. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  7. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rash — a series
  4. court — of law
  5. rock — music
  6. rash — on the skin
  7. march — the month
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rock — a stone
  11. ball — a great time
  12. rash — hasty
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. march — music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. court — for sport
  18. ball — a dance
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. court — of a king
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rock — to move gently

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