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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. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. How do you ________________ your surname?
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  16. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  17. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. We're on a ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. spell — a short time
  3. stem — to come from
  4. cue — a signal
  5. pound — for dogs
  6. drill — the tool
  7. roll — a cake
  8. cue — a hint
  9. spell — letters
  10. drill — army training
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. spell — magic
  13. cue — for pool
  14. pop — music
  15. roll — a list
  16. stem — of a plant
  17. pound — to hit hard
  18. pound — a weight
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pop — soda
  23. pop — to visit
  24. roll — on a roll

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