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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: pop · ball · root · march · patient · suit · pitch · saw

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  7. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  8. You don't need to ________________ round.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  18. We're almost out of ________________.
  19. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  24. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. suit — in cards
  5. ball — a great time
  6. march — the month
  7. march — the month
  8. pop — to visit
  9. saw — the tool
  10. root — of a plant
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. root — the cause
  13. suit — to fit
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. saw — the tool
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. pitch — a sports field
  18. pop — soda
  19. pitch — completely
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. march — music
  22. pop — music
  23. suit — clothes
  24. root — of a word

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