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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. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  2. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  7. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  8. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  9. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. It's one o'clock ________________.
  14. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  15. When are we going to ________________?
  16. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. How do you ________________ your surname?
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  24. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — to roll
  2. spell — a short time
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — a supporter
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. pitch — a sales talk
  8. sharp — clever
  9. land — a country
  10. club — for dancing
  11. sharp — with an edge
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. sharp — exactly
  14. pitch — completely
  15. land — to come down
  16. fan — to cool the air
  17. club — for golf
  18. spell — letters
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. club — a group
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. land — ground
  24. spell — magic

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