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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  12. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  13. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. toast — a drink to someone
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — a gift
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. wind — to turn a key
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. present — the time now
  9. present — there
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. dip — to sink
  12. dip — a sauce
  13. roll — a list
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. wind — moving air
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. toast — bread
  20. bass — the fish
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wind — moving air
  24. bass — low music

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