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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. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  11. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  20. You don't need to ________________ round.
  21. Have you found your soul ________________?
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. field — for sport
  3. club — a group
  4. mate — a friend
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. bank — of a river
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. club — for dancing
  9. bank — for money
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rash — on the skin
  12. rash — hasty
  13. pop — music
  14. club — for golf
  15. field — farmland
  16. pop — soda
  17. mate — to breed
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rash — a series
  20. pop — to visit
  21. mate — a partner
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. field — a subject
  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