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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  9. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  12. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  13. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  23. David sat on the ________________.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. fine — a penalty
  3. present — a gift
  4. swing — in golf
  5. present — there
  6. drill — army training
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. bear — the animal
  9. drill — the tool
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. swing — music
  12. bear — to put up with
  13. present — the time now
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. fine — all right
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. fine — high quality
  19. drill — a practice
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. leaves — of a tree
  23. swing — to play on
  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