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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. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  23. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. toast — bread
  6. shower — rain
  7. mark — a trace
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for dancing
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. toast — the most admired
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. wake — a trail
  14. club — for golf
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. present — the time now
  18. shower — to wash
  19. present — a gift
  20. wake — before a funeral
  21. present — there
  22. toast — a drink to someone
  23. shower — a meteor shower
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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