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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. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  10. When will it ________________ you to start?
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  16. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  17. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  21. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. bass — the fish
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bore — to tire
  10. suit — to fit
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. land — ground
  13. bass — low music
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. land — a country
  16. suit — clothes
  17. drill — army training
  18. suit — in cards
  19. prune — to trim
  20. bore — to drill
  21. drill — a practice
  22. deal — to handle
  23. drill — the tool
  24. land — to come down

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