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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  9. The ________________ market has crashed.
  10. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  13. When will it ________________ you to start?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  19. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  20. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  21. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. chair — a leader
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. drill — the tool
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. pass — to spend time
  9. stock — shares
  10. stock — goods
  11. rush — hurry
  12. chair — to sit on
  13. suit — to fit
  14. suit — clothes
  15. drill — army training
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stock — a soup base
  19. pass — to succeed
  20. pass — a permit
  21. pound — to hit hard
  22. suit — in cards
  23. pound — a weight
  24. rush — to hurry

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