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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. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  7. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  10. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  18. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. The ________________ went through the wall.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. rock — a stone
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bowl — to roll
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. mug — a cup
  7. ruler — for measuring
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. field — a subject
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. mug — a face
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. march — the month
  16. march — the month
  17. march — music
  18. field — for sport
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. ruler — a monarch
  21. mug — to rob
  22. field — farmland
  23. nail — for a hammer
  24. rock — music

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