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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. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  5. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  6. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  17. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. date — on the calendar
  5. bass — the instrument
  6. present — the time now
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. stand — to bear
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. bore — to tire
  11. present — there
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. staff — employees
  14. bass — low music
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bore — gave birth
  17. date — the fruit
  18. bass — the fish
  19. staff — a stick
  20. present — a gift
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. bore — to drill

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