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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  23. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  24. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. track — to keep track
  3. hand — in cards
  4. wave — a sudden rise
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. club — a group
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. roll — a cake
  16. game — wild animals
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. track — a song
  19. club — for dancing
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. club — for golf
  22. game — a kind of play
  23. roll — a list
  24. track — a path

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