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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  4. What do you think of the new ________________?
  5. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. There's no middle ________________.
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  21. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. drill — army training
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. ground — the earth
  6. drill — the tool
  7. leaves — to go away
  8. prune — to trim
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. prune — to trim
  12. ground — a position
  13. drill — a practice
  14. bass — the fish
  15. present — a gift
  16. ground — crushed
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. bass — low music
  21. cabinet — a cupboard
  22. present — there
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. present — the time 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