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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. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. It's one o'clock ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. That must've been a ________________.
  12. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  24. Would you like some apricot ________________?

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. jam — in traffic
  4. foot — a measure
  5. sharp — with an edge
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. lean — thin
  8. sharp — exactly
  9. club — for dancing
  10. net — in sport
  11. rush — a thrill
  12. net — for catching
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. net — after costs
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. sharp — clever
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. rush — hurry
  21. club — a group
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. lean — to bend
  24. jam — to spread on bread

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