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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  6. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The tickets are free of ________________.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. march — the month
  3. march — music
  4. bore — to drill
  5. march — the month
  6. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. land — ground
  9. kid — child
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. charge — a price
  12. bore — to tire
  13. land — to come down
  14. charge — in control
  15. kid — to tease
  16. land — a country
  17. charge — electricity
  18. patient — a sick person

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