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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  3. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  4. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  13. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — a garden tool
  2. fork — in a road
  3. wave — a sudden rise
  4. tube — in a tire
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. degree — temperature
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. bore — to tire
  13. wave — with your hand
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. bore — to drill
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. degree — from a university
  18. tube — a container
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. tube — the underground
  21. degree — an amount
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  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