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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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Word bank
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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  14. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. bass — the fish
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. scale — in music
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. band — a rubber band
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. ground — the earth
  13. scale — for weighing
  14. band — a ring
  15. rush — hurry
  16. band — a music group
  17. scale — size or range
  18. ground — crushed
  19. bass — the instrument
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. bass — low music
  23. nail — on a finger
  24. rush — to hurry

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