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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. Did you ________________ the meat?
  12. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. mark — a grade
  3. drill — a practice
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. dip — to sink
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. season — in sport
  8. mate — a partner
  9. bat — the animal
  10. club — for dancing
  11. season — to add flavour
  12. bat — for baseball
  13. club — a group
  14. club — for golf
  15. drill — the tool
  16. mate — to breed
  17. dip — to dunk
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. mark — a trace
  21. drill — army training
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. season — of the year
  24. mate — a friend

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