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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  3. I'll be taking the ________________.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  7. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  8. This piece is in a major ________________.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  13. That was a fun ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  19. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  20. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — happening now
  3. tube — the underground
  4. current — electric
  5. present — there
  6. game — a kind of play
  7. key — for a lock
  8. key — in music
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. current — of water
  12. tube — a container
  13. game — a match
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. game — wild animals
  17. key — the most important part
  18. bowl — a dish
  19. tube — in a tire
  20. present — a gift
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. present — the time now
  24. bay — a part of the sea

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