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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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  13. Where did you ________________ them?
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  16. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  17. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  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. mug — a cup
  2. bass — low music
  3. can — a tin
  4. rock — music
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — for betting
  8. mug — a face
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rock — to move gently
  11. bore — to tire
  12. can — a tin
  13. mug — to rob
  14. rock — a stone
  15. chip — in a computer
  16. bass — the fish
  17. stand — for spectators
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. can — to be able to
  20. bore — to drill
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. stand — to bear
  23. chip — to eat
  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