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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. There's a computer ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. present — the time now
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ground — the earth
  4. club — a group
  5. chip — to eat
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. club — for dancing
  8. object — an aim
  9. club — for golf
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. present — a gift
  13. fork — a garden tool
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. ground — a position
  16. object — to protest
  17. fork — in a road
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. object — a thing
  20. chip — for betting
  21. present — there
  22. foot — a measure
  23. ground — crushed
  24. chip — in a computer

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