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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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  22. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. row — a line
  2. track — to keep track
  3. band — a rubber band
  4. pit — in a race
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. scale — size or range
  7. row — a quarrel
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stand — on your feet
  10. band — a ring
  11. row — to paddle
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. drill — army training
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. drill — a practice
  17. pit — a hole
  18. track — a song
  19. scale — in music
  20. drill — the tool
  21. track — a path
  22. band — a music group
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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