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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. He is an ace ________________.
  8. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  13. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  14. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  17. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  18. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. He works in a ________________ mill.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bound — tied together
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. rash — hasty
  7. pitcher — in baseball
  8. cue — for pool
  9. saw — the tool
  10. bound — obliged
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rash — on the skin
  13. rash — a series
  14. cue — a signal
  15. bound — certain
  16. date — the fruit
  17. bowl — a dish
  18. date — on the calendar
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. cue — a hint
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. saw — the tool

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