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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 124 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 dealt a bad ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. pop — music
  3. tube — the underground
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pass — a permit
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. track — a path
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. tube — a container
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. track — to keep track
  16. pop — soda
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. hand — help
  19. pop — to visit
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. ruler — for measuring
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. track — a song

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