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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. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. mate — a friend
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — to play on
  4. mate — to breed
  5. arm — a part of something
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. rule — a law
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. club — for dancing
  10. rule — government
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. ball — a dance
  14. club — for golf
  15. mate — a partner
  16. swing — in golf
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. club — a group
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a round shape
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. swing — music
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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