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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  10. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  17. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. wave — with your hand
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. rule — a law
  7. club — for dancing
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. foot — a measure
  10. net — for catching
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. foot — the bottom
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. bark — a dog's sound
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bark — to shout
  17. net — after costs
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. bark — of a tree
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. wave — a sudden rise
  23. net — in sport
  24. rule — government

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