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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  7. We're on a ________________ here.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  10. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. The King held a masked ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  18. That was a fun ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  23. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. game — wild animals
  3. club — for dancing
  4. bound — obliged
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. club — for golf
  7. roll — on a roll
  8. wake — a trail
  9. game — a kind of play
  10. bound — tied together
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. roll — a list
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ball — a great time
  15. ball — a dance
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. wake — before a funeral
  18. game — a match
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — hurry
  21. bound — certain
  22. roll — a cake
  23. wake — to stop sleeping
  24. club — a group

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