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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. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. There's no middle ________________.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ took off on time.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  21. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — in cards
  2. swing — in golf
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. chip — in a computer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. net — for catching
  7. ground — a position
  8. suit — to fit
  9. plane — a tool
  10. suit — clothes
  11. plane — in geometry
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. chip — for betting
  14. swing — to play on
  15. plane — an aircraft
  16. net — after costs
  17. swing — music
  18. arm — a part of something
  19. ground — crushed
  20. chip — to eat
  21. ground — the earth
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. net — in sport
  24. arm — part of the body

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