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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. He is an ace ________________.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  7. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  15. Don't do anything ________________.
  16. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  17. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. club — for golf
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. degree — temperature
  7. degree — from a university
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. mate — a partner
  10. rush — hurry
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. club — a group
  14. mate — to breed
  15. rash — hasty
  16. rash — a series
  17. degree — an amount
  18. club — for dancing
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mate — a friend
  24. rash — on the skin

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