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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: fine · ball · race · patient · mine · drill · pound · cap

  1. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  2. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  15. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  20. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  21. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  22. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  23. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  24. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. drill — a practice
  2. mine — for digging
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. drill — army training
  6. race — the arms race
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cap — a lid
  9. ball — a dance
  10. cap — a hat
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. race — a contest
  14. pound — a weight
  15. ball — a great time
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. drill — the tool
  20. fine — all right
  21. fine — high quality
  22. mine — an explosive
  23. cap — of ice
  24. race — humankind

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