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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 ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. The ________________ went through the wall.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — the earth
  2. club — for dancing
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. ground — a position
  5. club — for golf
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. rush — hurry
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. kick — in football
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. cabinet — a cupboard
  15. squash — the sport
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. cabinet — ministers
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. club — a group
  23. squash — to crush
  24. ground — crushed

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