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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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  4. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  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. ground — a position
  2. lean — to bend
  3. date — on the calendar
  4. deal — a big deal
  5. ground — crushed
  6. current — electric
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. date — the fruit
  9. staff — employees
  10. lean — thin
  11. deal — an agreement
  12. club — for dancing
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. club — for golf
  16. staff — a stick
  17. staff — employees
  18. current — happening now
  19. deal — to handle
  20. ground — the earth
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — a group
  23. current — of water
  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