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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. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  4. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  5. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  6. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  9. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  14. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  17. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  18. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  19. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Don't do anything ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — to cool the air
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. rock — to move gently
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. rash — a series
  6. bore — to drill
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. bank — of a river
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. bank — for money
  12. rock — a stone
  13. bore — gave birth
  14. degree — an amount
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. degree — from a university
  17. degree — temperature
  18. bank — for money
  19. rash — on the skin
  20. bore — to tire
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rock — music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rash — hasty

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