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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Don't do anything ________________.
  17. He is an ace ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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. game — a kind of play
  4. game — a match
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — a weight
  8. rash — a series
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. bat — the animal
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. current — of water
  13. current — electric
  14. game — wild animals
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rash — hasty
  17. pitcher — in baseball
  18. bat — for baseball
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. current — happening now

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