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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. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  2. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  8. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. That was a fun ________________.
  12. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  24. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — in music
  2. scale — for weighing
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. present — a gift
  5. bore — to drill
  6. present — there
  7. current — happening now
  8. fine — high quality
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. current — of water
  11. game — a match
  12. bore — gave birth
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bore — to tire
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. game — wild animals
  18. scale — size or range
  19. present — the time now
  20. current — electric
  21. fine — all right
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. chair — a leader
  24. chair — to sit on

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