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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 116 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 girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  8. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  17. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The King held a masked ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  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. row — a line
  2. club — for golf
  3. cap — of ice
  4. net — for catching
  5. cap — a lid
  6. row — to paddle
  7. cap — a hat
  8. net — after costs
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. net — in sport
  11. wax — in the ear
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. wax — to grow
  17. leaves — lets stay
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a dance
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. club — a group
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. leaves — of a tree
  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