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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. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  13. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  16. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  17. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. staff — employees
  4. club — for dancing
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. wound — an injury
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. chip — to eat
  10. club — for golf
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. band — a ring
  13. wound — an injury
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. staff — employees
  16. current — happening now
  17. band — a rubber band
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. chip — for betting
  20. current — of water
  21. band — a music group
  22. club — a group
  23. current — electric
  24. racket — for tennis

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