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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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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: mug · pound · key · fork · spell · rule · patient · bay

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. How do you ________________ your surname?
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. My mare is ________________ in color.
  12. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  13. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. Where did you ________________ them?
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. This piece is in a major ________________.
  21. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. spell — letters
  4. mug — a face
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fork — a garden tool
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. bay — a part of the sea
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. bay — a horse colour
  12. spell — magic
  13. pound — a weight
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. key — for a lock
  16. rule — a law
  17. key — the most important part
  18. mug — to rob
  19. fork — in a road
  20. key — in music
  21. mug — a cup
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. spell — a short time
  24. bay — to keep at bay

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