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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. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  12. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. David sat on the ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  23. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  24. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. drill — army training
  3. court — of a king
  4. staff — a stick
  5. court — of law
  6. firm — decided
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. court — for sport
  9. mine — for digging
  10. swing — music
  11. drill — a practice
  12. rock — music
  13. staff — employees
  14. mine — belonging to me
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rock — a stone
  18. swing — to play on
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. staff — employees
  21. swing — in golf
  22. firm — steady
  23. drill — the tool
  24. firm — a company

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