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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. That was ________________ to happen.
  6. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He is an ace ________________.
  17. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  22. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  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. scale — in music
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bound — obliged
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. bound — certain
  6. scale — for weighing
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. drill — a practice
  11. bore — to tire
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. drill — army training
  14. deal — to handle
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. pitcher — in baseball
  17. bound — tied together
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. drill — the tool
  20. scale — size or range
  21. bore — to drill
  22. snap — to click
  23. deal — an agreement
  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