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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. I'll be taking the ________________.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  19. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  20. The ________________ market has crashed.
  21. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — a group
  3. stock — goods
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. club — for golf
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. tube — the underground
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. drill — army training
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. drill — the tool
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. rush — hurry
  18. tube — a container
  19. drill — a practice
  20. stock — shares
  21. club — for dancing
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. fork — in a road
  24. fork — a garden tool

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