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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're almost out of ________________.
  2. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  5. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  11. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  19. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  20. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  21. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. straw — dry grass
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. mine — belonging to me
  5. pitch — completely
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. mine — an explosive
  11. mine — for digging
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. fan — to cool the air
  14. bore — to tire
  15. pop — music
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. bore — to drill
  18. date — the fruit
  19. fan — a supporter
  20. pitch — a sports field
  21. straw — to clutch at straws
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. pop — to visit
  24. straw — a straw man

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