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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  6. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  7. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  10. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. David sat on the ________________.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  23. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  24. My father caught me by the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. swing — music
  6. spring — of water
  7. spring — the season
  8. track — to keep track
  9. spring — a coil
  10. track — a path
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. swing — to play on
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. fork — a garden tool
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. swing — in golf
  18. track — a song
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. fork — to eat with
  23. fork — in a road
  24. arm — part of the body

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