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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. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  2. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  10. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  14. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  19. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  23. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. file — a line of people
  3. rest — a break
  4. toast — bread
  5. club — for dancing
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. rest — what's left
  10. sharp — with an edge
  11. club — for golf
  12. club — a group
  13. toast — the most admired
  14. file — a tool
  15. track — to keep track
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. file — a document
  19. track — a song
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. track — a path
  23. sharp — clever
  24. sharp — exactly

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