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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. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. When was this ________________ built?
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  13. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  14. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  19. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  20. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  23. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. temple — side of the head
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. track — a song
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. bore — to tire
  8. scale — in music
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. scale — for weighing
  11. track — to keep track
  12. fine — all right
  13. fine — a penalty
  14. object — an aim
  15. scale — size or range
  16. bore — to drill
  17. object — a thing
  18. capital — a city
  19. temple — a place of worship
  20. capital — money
  21. track — a path
  22. fine — high quality
  23. capital — a big letter
  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