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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  3. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  7. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  8. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  9. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. fine — all right
  3. bore — gave birth
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. toast — bread
  6. fine — a penalty
  7. capital — a big letter
  8. drill — army training
  9. bulb — of a plant
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bulb — for light
  13. capital — money
  14. drill — a practice
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. capital — a city
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bore — to tire
  19. bore — to drill
  20. fine — high quality
  21. drill — the tool
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. toast — the most admired

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