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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. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  8. When was this ________________ built?
  9. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  15. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  18. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stick — a piece of wood
  5. club — for dancing
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. temple — a place of worship
  8. temple — a place of worship
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — to attach or keep to
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. hand — help
  14. hand — part of the body
  15. bass — low music
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. temple — side of the head
  18. bass — the fish
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. club — for golf
  22. club — a group
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. hand — in cards

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