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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 116 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. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  22. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — in music
  5. fine — a penalty
  6. key — the most important part
  7. fine — all right
  8. present — there
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. spell — magic
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bore — to drill
  13. spell — letters
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bore — to tire
  16. fine — high quality
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. key — for a lock
  21. squash — the sport
  22. spell — a short time
  23. present — the time now
  24. squash — to crush

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