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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. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  4. We're almost out of ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. How do you ________________ your surname?
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  12. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. You don't need to ________________ round.
  16. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — army training
  2. spell — magic
  3. pop — music
  4. pop — soda
  5. fine — high quality
  6. bore — to tire
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. spell — letters
  9. net — after costs
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fine — all right
  12. drill — a practice
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pop — to visit
  16. spell — a short time
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. net — in sport
  20. net — for catching
  21. drill — the tool
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. bore — gave birth

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