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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  20. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The light ________________ burned out.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. ground — a position
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ground — crushed
  4. current — of water
  5. bulb — for light
  6. drill — army training
  7. ball — a dance
  8. current — electric
  9. drill — a practice
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bulb — of a plant
  15. bore — to tire
  16. wave — of the sea
  17. current — happening now
  18. ground — the earth
  19. wave — with your hand
  20. wave — a sudden rise
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bulb — for light
  23. drill — the tool
  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