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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. The ________________ went through the wall.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. drill — a practice
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. cell — a phone
  5. scale — in music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. drill — army training
  8. land — a country
  9. safe — out of danger
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. track — a song
  13. land — ground
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. track — to keep track
  17. safe — a strongbox
  18. drill — the tool
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a path
  21. cell — in biology
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. land — to come down
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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