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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. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. trunk — of a car
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. club — for dancing
  4. field — a subject
  5. key — in music
  6. trunk — of a tree
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. key — the most important part
  9. court — of law
  10. court — for sport
  11. club — a group
  12. current — happening now
  13. current — electric
  14. court — of a king
  15. field — for sport
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. fan — a supporter
  18. key — for a lock
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. field — farmland
  22. current — of water
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. club — for golf

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