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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 124 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: spring · can · toast · ball · present · patient · bore · deal

  1. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  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. present — the time now
  2. deal — a big deal
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — the most admired
  5. present — there
  6. spring — a coil
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. can — a tin
  9. bore — to drill
  10. ball — a dance
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. spring — of water
  13. deal — to handle
  14. present — a gift
  15. spring — the season
  16. bore — to tire
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. can — to be able to
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. deal — an agreement
  22. can — a tin
  23. ball — a great time
  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