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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 soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  7. This piece is in a major ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  10. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  17. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  18. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  23. We're on a ________________ here.
  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. drill — army training
  2. key — for a lock
  3. land — to come down
  4. can — a tin
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. key — the most important part
  7. key — in music
  8. can — a tin
  9. drill — a practice
  10. mark — a grade
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. mark — a trace
  13. spring — of water
  14. drill — the tool
  15. spring — a coil
  16. land — ground
  17. roll — a list
  18. land — a country
  19. can — to be able to
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. roll — a cake
  22. spring — the season
  23. roll — on a roll
  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