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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  14. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  15. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  18. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  19. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  20. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. suit — clothes
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. suit — to fit
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fine — all right
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. wake — a trail
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. wind — moving air
  15. degree — from a university
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. wind — moving air
  18. degree — temperature
  19. can — a tin
  20. can — a tin
  21. fine — high quality
  22. suit — in cards
  23. can — to be able to
  24. degree — an amount

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