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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  5. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  15. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  16. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  20. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  21. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  24. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. kid — child
  5. fine — high quality
  6. club — for dancing
  7. lean — to bend
  8. foot — a measure
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. track — to keep track
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — for golf
  14. lean — to rest against
  15. lean — thin
  16. fine — all right
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. track — a song
  19. kid — to tease
  20. track — a path
  21. chip — to eat
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. fine — a penalty
  24. chip — for betting

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