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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  7. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  10. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  11. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  19. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  23. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  24. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. degree — temperature
  4. club — a group
  5. toast — bread
  6. band — a ring
  7. toast — a drink to someone
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. fan — a supporter
  10. cap — of ice
  11. degree — an amount
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. band — a music group
  17. club — for dancing
  18. degree — from a university
  19. band — a rubber band
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. bowl — a football final
  23. cap — a hat
  24. cap — a lid

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