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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  5. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  9. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  14. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  15. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. Don't do anything ________________.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. degree — an amount
  5. degree — from a university
  6. rash — a series
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. nail — on a finger
  9. wake — a trail
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. row — to paddle
  13. track — a song
  14. rash — on the skin
  15. wake — to stop sleeping
  16. fine — all right
  17. rash — hasty
  18. fine — high quality
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. track — a path
  22. degree — temperature
  23. track — to keep track
  24. row — a line

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