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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 120 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. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  3. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. David sat on the ________________.
  12. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  13. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  14. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  15. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  23. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  24. When are we going to ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. net — for catching
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. track — a song
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. snap — to click
  8. net — after costs
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. swing — music
  11. swing — to play on
  12. land — ground
  13. track — to keep track
  14. present — there
  15. stick — to attach or keep to
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. land — a country
  18. present — the time now
  19. present — a gift
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. swing — in golf
  22. net — in sport
  23. track — a path
  24. land — to come down

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