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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I can't ________________ this cold.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. key — for a lock
  3. current — electric
  4. current — happening now
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. stand — to bear
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. key — the most important part
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. band — a rubber band
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. key — in music
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. pound — a weight
  20. band — a music group
  21. current — of water
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. band — a ring
  24. patient — a sick person

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