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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. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We're on a ________________ here.
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  8. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  12. Did you ________________ the meat?
  13. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The light ________________ burned out.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  22. I've got to change the light ________________.
  23. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  24. The spa offers ________________ extensions.

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

Answer key

  1. jam — to spread on bread
  2. club — for golf
  3. club — for dancing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. roll — on a roll
  6. roll — a list
  7. lash — a whip stroke
  8. jam — a tight spot
  9. season — in sport
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. lash — to lash out
  12. season — to add flavour
  13. season — of the year
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. club — a group
  16. bulb — for light
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. jam — in traffic
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. roll — a cake
  22. bulb — for light
  23. bulb — of a plant
  24. lash — an eyelash

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