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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 120 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. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  4. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Where did you ________________ them?
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  13. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  14. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  21. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  22. He works in a ________________ mill.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. She's very handy with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mug — a cup
  2. cue — a hint
  3. saw — past of 'see'
  4. present — the time now
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. scale — in music
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. mug — to rob
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. mug — a face
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. scale — for weighing
  13. fork — in a road
  14. leaves — lets stay
  15. cue — for pool
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. cue — a signal
  18. present — a gift
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. present — there
  21. scale — size or range
  22. saw — the tool
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. saw — the tool

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