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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  6. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  7. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. He was locked up in a ________________.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  22. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rock — to move gently
  3. mark — a grade
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cell — in biology
  6. drill — a practice
  7. cell — a phone
  8. mark — a trace
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. rock — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. board — a flat piece
  13. rock — a stone
  14. cell — in a prison
  15. current — of water
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. board — a committee
  18. drill — the tool
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. current — electric
  21. current — happening now
  22. drill — army training
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. board — to get on

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