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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. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. It's one o'clock ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  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. band — a ring
  2. drill — army training
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. deal — to handle
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. board — a committee
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. sharp — clever
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. sharp — exactly
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. scale — in music
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. scale — size or range
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. band — a music group
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. foot — a measure
  21. board — to get on
  22. drill — a practice
  23. drill — the tool
  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