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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. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  9. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — a tight spot
  2. club — for dancing
  3. club — a group
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. bat — for baseball
  9. jam — to spread on bread
  10. deal — to handle
  11. fork — in a road
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. deal — a big deal
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. bat — the animal
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. fork — to eat with
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. fan — to cool the air
  22. club — for golf
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. patient — a sick person

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