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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 116 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. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  4. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  9. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  17. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  18. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. drill — army training
  3. scale — in music
  4. row — a quarrel
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. band — a music group
  9. squash — to crush
  10. deal — to handle
  11. drill — the tool
  12. row — to paddle
  13. squash — the sport
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. drill — a practice
  17. scale — size or range
  18. band — a ring
  19. row — a line
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. band — a rubber band
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. squash — the vegetable

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