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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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. The tickets are free of ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  15. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  24. He keeps ________________ of his days.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. charge — electricity
  3. hand — in cards
  4. stick — to attach or keep to
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. track — a path
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. track — a song
  9. charge — a price
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. firm — decided
  15. firm — a company
  16. firm — steady
  17. hand — help
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. scale — in music
  20. charge — in control
  21. scale — size or range
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. track — to keep track

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