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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  8. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  18. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. shower — rain
  3. fine — high quality
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. present — the time now
  7. present — a gift
  8. fork — in a road
  9. drill — a practice
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. cabinet — a cupboard
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. present — there
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. drill — army training
  17. cabinet — ministers
  18. fine — all right
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. shower — to wash
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. scale — size or range
  24. fine — a penalty

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