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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. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  17. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. track — to keep track
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. track — a song
  6. net — for catching
  7. rock — a stone
  8. shower — a meteor shower
  9. shower — rain
  10. ruler — for measuring
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. net — after costs
  14. chair — a leader
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. craft — boats
  17. craft — a skill
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rock — music
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. shower — to wash
  22. net — in sport
  23. track — a path
  24. ruler — a monarch

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