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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  5. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  6. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  7. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  22. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  23. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. track — to keep track
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. current — electric
  5. wound — past of 'wind'
  6. mate — to breed
  7. current — of water
  8. track — a path
  9. fork — in a road
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. current — happening now
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. club — for golf
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. club — a group
  16. club — for dancing
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. mate — a friend
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. mate — a partner
  21. track — a song
  22. fine — all right
  23. wound — an injury
  24. wound — an injury

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