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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: present · march · wake · arm · ball · kid · fine · patient

  1. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  5. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  6. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  12. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. My father caught me by the ________________.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. wake — a trail
  5. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  6. march — the month
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. fine — high quality
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. wake — to stop sleeping
  12. march — the month
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. present — there
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. march — music
  18. kid — to tease
  19. ball — a dance
  20. ball — a great time
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. present — a gift
  23. fine — all right
  24. present — the time now

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