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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. We're almost out of ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  7. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  15. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  19. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  23. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  24. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.

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

Answer key

  1. pop — soda
  2. court — for sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pop — to visit
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. deal — to handle
  7. drill — army training
  8. court — of a king
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. drill — the tool
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. leaves — to go away
  15. drill — a practice
  16. court — of law
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bore — to drill
  19. stick — a piece of wood
  20. pop — music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. bore — to tire
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. leaves — lets stay

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