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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. This piece is in a major ________________.
  3. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  8. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  9. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  10. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  11. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  19. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. key — in music
  3. key — the most important part
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. craft — a skill
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. wound — an injury
  10. craft — boats
  11. wound — an injury
  12. track — a song
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. pound — a weight
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. pound — to hit hard
  19. track — a path
  20. row — to paddle
  21. track — to keep track
  22. row — a line
  23. key — for a lock
  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