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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. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  2. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  11. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  12. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. That must've been a ________________.
  17. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  18. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  19. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — bread
  2. fork — a garden tool
  3. club — for golf
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. fork — in a road
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. bank — for money
  10. object — to protest
  11. rush — hurry
  12. toast — a drink to someone
  13. bank — for money
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rush — a thrill
  17. bank — of a river
  18. jam — to spread on bread
  19. object — an aim
  20. club — a group
  21. object — a thing
  22. club — for dancing
  23. toast — the most admired
  24. patient — a sick person

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