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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  6. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  19. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  23. When are we going to ________________?
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. toast — bread
  3. club — for dancing
  4. ground — a position
  5. craft — boats
  6. toast — the most admired
  7. club — for golf
  8. stand — to bear
  9. land — a country
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. ground — crushed
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ground — the earth
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. land — ground
  19. craft — a handicraft
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. craft — a skill
  22. stand — on your feet
  23. land — to come down
  24. club — a group

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