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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. Where did you ________________ them?
  3. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. We were using a ________________ as a seat.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. mug — to rob
  3. mug — a cup
  4. rest — a break
  5. current — of water
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. current — happening now
  8. rest — what's left
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. current — electric
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. mug — a face
  18. rock — music
  19. date — the fruit
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. rest — what's left
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rock — a stone

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