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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: drill · kick · club · prune · patient · rock · fine · can

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  10. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  13. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  16. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. can — a tin
  3. club — a group
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. drill — a practice
  6. drill — the tool
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. can — to be able to
  9. prune — to trim
  10. kick — in football
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. rock — to move gently
  13. kick — a thrill
  14. fine — all right
  15. drill — army training
  16. can — a tin
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. club — for golf
  20. rock — a stone
  21. prune — to trim
  22. rock — music
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. club — for dancing

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