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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  6. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. He is an ace ________________.
  9. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  14. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  19. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. can — to be able to
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mark — to pay attention
  6. bass — the instrument
  7. mark — a trace
  8. pitcher — in baseball
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. can — a tin
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. file — a tool
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. mark — a grade
  16. file — a document
  17. can — a tin
  18. fork — to eat with
  19. bass — low music
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. bass — the fish
  22. file — a line of people
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. calf — of the leg

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