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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. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  24. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. degree — from a university
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. bore — to tire
  6. drill — the tool
  7. board — a committee
  8. dip — to sink
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. board — to get on
  11. rule — a law
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. drill — a practice
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — to handle
  17. degree — temperature
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. bore — to drill
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. degree — an amount
  22. drill — army training
  23. rule — government
  24. dip — a sauce

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