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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. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  5. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  9. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  15. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  21. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  22. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. We had a fire ________________ at school today.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. trunk — of a tree
  3. club — for dancing
  4. drill — army training
  5. present — the time now
  6. game — a match
  7. row — to paddle
  8. row — a line
  9. trunk — of an elephant
  10. club — a group
  11. club — for golf
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. trunk — of a car
  15. leaves — lets stay
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. leaves — to go away
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. drill — the tool
  21. present — there
  22. present — a gift
  23. game — wild animals
  24. drill — a practice

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