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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. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  2. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  5. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  6. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. He is an ace ________________.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. pound — for dogs
  2. bat — in an idiom
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. track — a song
  5. bat — the animal
  6. current — of water
  7. mark — a grade
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. current — electric
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. track — to keep track
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bore — to drill
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. bore — to tire
  17. current — happening now
  18. mark — a trace
  19. pitcher — in baseball
  20. pound — a weight
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. track — a path
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. bat — for baseball

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