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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  4. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. When are we going to ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  15. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  16. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. can — a tin
  3. rock — music
  4. can — to be able to
  5. club — for golf
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. land — to come down
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. land — ground
  11. bore — to drill
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — a group
  14. rock — a stone
  15. bore — to tire
  16. bank — of a river
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. bank — for money
  19. land — a country
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bank — for money
  22. can — a tin
  23. club — for dancing
  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