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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  14. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  22. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  23. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. content — the amount
  3. drill — a practice
  4. row — a line
  5. object — an aim
  6. craft — boats
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. row — to paddle
  9. march — music
  10. drill — the tool
  11. pit — in a race
  12. object — to protest
  13. content — happy
  14. march — the month
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. drill — army training
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. object — a thing
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. march — the month
  22. craft — a skill
  23. pit — a hole
  24. content — videos and posts

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