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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I can't ________________ this cold.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  10. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  16. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  23. This piece is in a major ________________.
  24. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. stand — to bear
  3. hand — in cards
  4. drill — army training
  5. drill — the tool
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. key — the most important part
  9. ball — a round shape
  10. stand — for spectators
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ball — a dance
  14. ball — a great time
  15. cell — in biology
  16. key — for a lock
  17. pit — a hole
  18. pit — in a race
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. drill — a practice
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. hand — help
  23. key — in music
  24. cell — a phone

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