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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. False peace will not ________________.
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. last — finally
  3. drill — a practice
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. drill — the tool
  6. pitch — a sports field
  7. current — of water
  8. scale — size or range
  9. pitch — completely
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. last — final
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. drill — army training
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. deal — to handle
  18. bank — of a river
  19. scale — in music
  20. bank — for money
  21. pitch — a sales talk
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — electric
  24. bank — for money

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