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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  4. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — a permit
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. land — a country
  4. sharp — clever
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. club — for dancing
  8. kid — to tease
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. club — a group
  14. land — to come down
  15. kid — child
  16. club — for golf
  17. land — ground
  18. pass — to spend time

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