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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  19. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  20. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — in cards
  4. suit — to fit
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. scale — size or range
  9. club — a group
  10. degree — an amount
  11. club — for golf
  12. scale — in music
  13. season — of the year
  14. degree — from a university
  15. root — the cause
  16. root — of a word
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. suit — clothes
  19. degree — temperature
  20. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  21. root — of a plant
  22. club — for dancing
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kid — child

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