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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 116 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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. My mare is ________________ in color.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — for dancing
  3. degree — from a university
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. club — a group
  6. field — for sport
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. lash — to lash out
  9. mark — a grade
  10. lash — a whip stroke
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. bay — to keep at bay
  13. degree — an amount
  14. wake — a trail
  15. field — farmland
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. bay — a horse colour
  19. field — a subject
  20. bay — a part of the sea
  21. mark — a trace
  22. lash — an eyelash
  23. club — for golf
  24. degree — temperature

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