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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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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. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — a thing
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. present — there
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. present — the time now
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. object — to protest
  12. bass — low music
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. present — a gift
  15. bass — the fish
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. pitcher — in baseball

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