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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  22. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  23. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. row — to paddle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. key — in music
  7. land — ground
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. prune — to trim
  11. current — happening now
  12. plane — in geometry
  13. row — a line
  14. key — the most important part
  15. land — to come down
  16. plane — a tool
  17. land — a country
  18. current — of water
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. key — for a lock
  21. current — electric
  22. prune — the fruit
  23. prune — to trim
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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