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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. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  21. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  22. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  23. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — belonging to me
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rock — a stone
  4. deal — to handle
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. ground — the earth
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. ground — a position
  11. ground — crushed
  12. rock — music
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. current — of water
  16. mine — for digging
  17. season — in sport
  18. current — electric
  19. scale — in music
  20. scale — size or range
  21. rock — to move gently
  22. season — of the year
  23. mine — an explosive
  24. current — happening now

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