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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: rock · drill · ball · pit · rest · patient · mug · spring

  1. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  12. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  13. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  22. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  23. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — in a race
  2. ball — a great time
  3. rock — a stone
  4. drill — army training
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. ball — a dance
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. rest — what's left
  9. spring — the season
  10. mug — to rob
  11. spring — a coil
  12. drill — the tool
  13. spring — of water
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. rest — a break
  17. ball — a round shape
  18. mug — a face
  19. rock — to move gently
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rock — music
  22. pit — a hole
  23. mug — a cup
  24. drill — a practice

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