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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 116 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. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  3. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  8. The ________________ went through the wall.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The King held a masked ________________.
  19. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. It's one o'clock ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pit — a fruit stone
  3. scale — for weighing
  4. current — happening now
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. current — electric
  7. scale — in music
  8. nail — for a hammer
  9. sharp — clever
  10. pit — in a race
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. current — of water
  13. wind — moving air
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. wind — to turn a key
  16. pit — a hole
  17. ball — a great time
  18. ball — a dance
  19. sharp — with an edge
  20. wind — moving air
  21. scale — size or range
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. sharp — exactly
  24. patient — a sick person

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