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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 116 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. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  17. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. I can't ________________ this cold.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  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. stand — for spectators
  2. club — a group
  3. land — to come down
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. staff — employees
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. land — a country
  9. kid — child
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. degree — temperature
  12. staff — a stick
  13. degree — an amount
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. club — for dancing
  16. kid — to tease
  17. lie — to recline
  18. land — ground
  19. club — for golf
  20. stand — to bear
  21. degree — from a university
  22. staff — employees
  23. stand — on your feet
  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