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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ market has crashed.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  11. Have you found your soul ________________?
  12. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  13. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stock — shares
  3. club — for golf
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. ground — a position
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. ground — the earth
  9. club — a group
  10. mate — a friend
  11. mate — a partner
  12. stock — goods
  13. stock — a soup base
  14. foot — a measure
  15. cell — a phone
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cell — in biology
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. ground — crushed
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mate — to breed
  24. club — for dancing

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