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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  8. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  9. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  17. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  23. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. present — a gift
  3. present — there
  4. content — videos and posts
  5. club — a group
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. present — the time now
  8. safe — a strongbox
  9. rule — government
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. squash — the sport
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. rule — a law
  18. content — happy
  19. squash — to crush
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. content — the amount
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. club — for dancing

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