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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. She's very handy with a ________________.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. This piece is in a major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. saw — the tool
  5. drill — a practice
  6. key — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. key — the most important part
  9. band — a music group
  10. current — of water
  11. current — electric
  12. drill — army training
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. drill — the tool
  15. court — for sport
  16. court — of a king
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. band — a ring
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. court — of law
  22. current — happening now
  23. key — for a lock
  24. band — a rubber band

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