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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  8. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  9. When are we going to ________________?
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  13. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  21. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  22. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. degree — temperature
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. trunk — of an elephant
  5. club — a group
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. land — a country
  8. club — for dancing
  9. land — to come down
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. degree — from a university
  13. dip — to sink
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. club — for golf
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. deal — to handle
  20. trunk — of a car
  21. degree — an amount
  22. deal — a big deal
  23. land — ground
  24. racket — for tennis

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