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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  13. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  16. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  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. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — crushed
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. drill — army training
  5. ground — a position
  6. staff — employees
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. mate — a partner
  10. drill — a practice
  11. firm — steady
  12. firm — decided
  13. mate — a friend
  14. hand — in cards
  15. ground — the earth
  16. fork — to eat with
  17. mate — to breed
  18. staff — a stick
  19. fork — in a road
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. hand — help
  22. drill — the tool
  23. staff — employees
  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