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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 116 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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  5. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  23. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. mark — a trace
  4. rock — a stone
  5. squash — the vegetable
  6. present — there
  7. drill — army training
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. drill — the tool
  10. mark — a grade
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. present — the time now
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. present — a gift
  17. game — a match
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rock — music
  20. squash — the sport
  21. game — wild animals
  22. squash — to crush
  23. mark — to pay attention
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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