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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. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  2. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  3. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The ________________ took off on time.
  14. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  21. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the instrument
  2. plane — in geometry
  3. drill — a practice
  4. ground — crushed
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. board — a committee
  7. bass — low music
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. rush — hurry
  10. board — to get on
  11. pit — a hole
  12. drill — the tool
  13. plane — an aircraft
  14. drill — army training
  15. plane — a tool
  16. pit — in a race
  17. ground — the earth
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. ground — a position
  20. pit — a fruit stone
  21. rush — to hurry
  22. bass — the fish
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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