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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. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — a penalty
  2. fine — high quality
  3. present — the time now
  4. net — after costs
  5. bat — the animal
  6. bore — to drill
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bat — in an idiom
  9. track — to keep track
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — in sport
  12. coach — pulled by horses
  13. bore — to tire
  14. bat — for baseball
  15. present — a gift
  16. fine — all right
  17. present — there
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. net — for catching
  21. track — a path
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. track — a song
  24. patient — a sick person

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