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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  12. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. The ________________ went through the wall.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. track — a song
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — after costs
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. net — in sport
  9. fine — all right
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. leaves — to go away
  12. shower — a meteor shower
  13. track — to keep track
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. net — for catching
  17. fine — high quality
  18. bass — the fish
  19. nail — for a hammer
  20. track — a path
  21. shower — rain
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. bass — low music

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