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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. David sat on the ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  23. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  24. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. scale — in music
  6. face — part of the head
  7. swing — to play on
  8. drill — the tool
  9. swing — in golf
  10. drill — a practice
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. stand — to bear
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. face — to confront
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. face — to point toward
  17. swing — music
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. fork — in a road
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. fork — a garden tool
  23. drill — army training
  24. scale — size or range

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