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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. Did you ________________ the button?
  15. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  20. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. mate — a partner
  3. staff — employees
  4. mate — a friend
  5. fan — a supporter
  6. club — for golf
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. hand — help
  9. press — newspapers
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. mate — to breed
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. press — to push
  15. hand — part of the body
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. press — a publisher
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. hand — in cards
  20. staff — a stick
  21. staff — employees
  22. club — a group
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. club — for dancing

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