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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. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  14. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  15. We're on a ________________ here.
  16. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  23. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. roll — a list
  3. bass — the instrument
  4. net — for catching
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — after costs
  7. band — a music group
  8. charge — electricity
  9. drill — the tool
  10. drill — army training
  11. drill — a practice
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. net — in sport
  14. band — a rubber band
  15. roll — on a roll
  16. bass — low music
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. charge — a price
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. bass — the fish
  22. charge — in control
  23. roll — a cake
  24. band — a ring

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