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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. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. He is an ace ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  5. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  6. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  13. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  14. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  17. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  23. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  24. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. pitcher — in baseball
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. band — a rubber band
  5. scale — size or range
  6. tear — from crying
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. bear — the animal
  9. scale — in music
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. pitch — completely
  13. rock — a stone
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. rock — music
  17. tear — from crying
  18. band — a ring
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. band — a music group
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. tear — to rip
  23. pitch — a sports field
  24. bear — the animal

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