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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  7. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  8. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. We're almost out of ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  22. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. object — to protest
  5. drill — army training
  6. cue — a hint
  7. object — an aim
  8. object — a thing
  9. hand — help
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. cue — for pool
  12. drill — the tool
  13. drill — a practice
  14. pop — to visit
  15. saw — the tool
  16. cue — a signal
  17. pop — soda
  18. saw — the tool
  19. net — after costs
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. pop — music
  22. net — for catching
  23. net — in sport
  24. 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