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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  3. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  4. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  5. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  13. He is an ace ________________.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bore — to tire
  3. board — to get on
  4. straw — a straw man
  5. board — a flat piece
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. scale — size or range
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. straw — dry grass
  13. pitcher — in baseball
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. land — a country
  16. scale — in music
  17. staff — a stick
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — ground
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. bore — to drill
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. board — a committee
  24. land — to come down

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