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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 kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. He is an ace ________________.
  6. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  19. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — for weighing
  2. scale — in music
  3. fan — a supporter
  4. face — part of the head
  5. pitcher — in baseball
  6. root — of a plant
  7. scale — size or range
  8. drill — a practice
  9. bore — to tire
  10. fan — to cool the air
  11. bore — to drill
  12. drill — the tool
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. face — to confront
  16. face — to point toward
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. root — the cause
  19. root — of a word
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. bore — gave birth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. drill — army training

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