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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  8. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  11. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  14. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  17. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  24. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. can — to be able to
  3. scale — in music
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. can — a tin
  6. fine — high quality
  7. scale — size or range
  8. drill — a practice
  9. fine — all right
  10. bore — to drill
  11. can — a tin
  12. object — to protest
  13. object — an aim
  14. object — a thing
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. fine — a penalty
  17. bore — gave birth
  18. present — there
  19. bore — to tire
  20. drill — the tool
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. present — a gift
  23. scale — for weighing
  24. drill — army training

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