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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  8. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  17. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  24. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. drill — the tool
  3. key — the most important part
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. key — in music
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. capital — money
  8. capital — a city
  9. pitch — completely
  10. key — for a lock
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. drill — army training
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. wave — a sudden rise
  15. drill — a practice
  16. capital — a big letter
  17. pitch — a sales talk
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. pitch — a sports field
  20. bass — low music
  21. wave — of the sea
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. bass — the fish

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