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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  5. The ________________ went through the wall.
  6. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  7. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  8. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. hand — in cards
  4. bowl — a dish
  5. nail — for a hammer
  6. hand — part of the body
  7. shower — to wash
  8. game — wild animals
  9. squash — the sport
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. firm — decided
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. firm — a company
  17. hand — help
  18. firm — steady
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. shower — rain
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. game — a kind of play
  24. patient — a sick person

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