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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. What do you think of the new ________________?
  2. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  3. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  4. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  15. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  20. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. spring — of water
  3. cabinet — a cupboard
  4. club — a group
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cue — a hint
  9. degree — an amount
  10. cue — for pool
  11. degree — temperature
  12. chip — to eat
  13. key — for a lock
  14. key — the most important part
  15. spring — a coil
  16. cue — a signal
  17. spring — the season
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. chip — in a computer
  20. degree — from a university
  21. key — in music
  22. club — for golf
  23. chip — for betting
  24. club — for dancing

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