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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. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  2. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. Have you met the new head ________________?
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. coach — pulled by horses
  2. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. key — in music
  5. drill — the tool
  6. shower — to wash
  7. kid — to tease
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. suit — in cards
  11. kid — child
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. drill — army training
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. key — the most important part
  16. suit — clothes
  17. key — for a lock
  18. shower — rain
  19. suit — to fit
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. drill — a practice
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. patient — a sick person

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