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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 116 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. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  3. Don't do anything ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  23. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. spell — magic
  3. rash — hasty
  4. net — after costs
  5. club — for golf
  6. spell — letters
  7. object — a thing
  8. net — for catching
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. rash — on the skin
  11. club — for dancing
  12. mark — a trace
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. mark — a grade
  15. object — to protest
  16. club — a group
  17. object — an aim
  18. rest — a break
  19. net — in sport
  20. rest — what's left
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rest — what's left
  23. spell — a short time
  24. mark — to pay attention

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