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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  12. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  13. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  14. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  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. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. ball — a great time
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. rock — music
  10. ball — a dance
  11. rock — to move gently
  12. deal — to handle
  13. lash — to lash out
  14. ball — a round shape
  15. toast — bread
  16. club — for golf
  17. lash — a whip stroke
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. rock — a stone
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. racket — for tennis
  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