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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  13. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. present — there
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — of the year
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rock — a stone
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  9. rush — hurry
  10. kid — to tease
  11. net — in sport
  12. kid — child
  13. net — for catching
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. scale — in music
  16. rock — music
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. net — after costs
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. scale — size or range
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. present — a gift

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