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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: suit · drill · bay · march · patient · craft · chair · pop

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. You don't need to ________________ round.
  4. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  5. We're almost out of ________________.
  6. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  7. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  21. When will it ________________ you to start?
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. suit — clothes
  3. pop — to visit
  4. craft — boats
  5. pop — soda
  6. pop — music
  7. drill — the tool
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. drill — army training
  10. craft — a skill
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. march — the month
  13. chair — a leader
  14. march — music
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. drill — a practice
  18. march — the month
  19. suit — in cards
  20. chair — to sit on
  21. suit — to fit
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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