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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  17. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. craft — boats
  2. drill — army training
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. staff — a stick
  5. squash — the sport
  6. rule — a law
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. bay — a part of the sea
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. pound — a weight
  12. craft — a skill
  13. drill — a practice
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. craft — a handicraft
  17. drill — the tool
  18. staff — employees
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. squash — to crush
  21. rule — government
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. staff — employees
  24. patient — a sick person

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