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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. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  2. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  8. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  9. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  10. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  11. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  15. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fork — in a road
  2. hand — in cards
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. chest — a box
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. club — for dancing
  7. fork — a garden tool
  8. hand — help
  9. club — a group
  10. wind — moving air
  11. hand — part of the body
  12. track — a song
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. season — in sport
  15. chest — of your body
  16. track — to keep track
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. chest — of your body
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. wind — moving air
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. track — a path
  23. season — of the year
  24. club — for golf

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