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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  11. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  12. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  18. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  19. The tickets are free of ________________.
  20. Where did you ________________ them?
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. mug — a cup
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mug — a face
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. field — farmland
  7. charge — electricity
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. band — a music group
  11. band — a ring
  12. charge — in control
  13. field — a subject
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. field — for sport
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. bore — to drill
  18. bore — to tire
  19. charge — a price
  20. mug — to rob
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. squash — the sport

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