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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 belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  8. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  12. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  13. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  14. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  15. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. The tickets are free of ________________.
  19. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. pit — a hole
  3. drill — army training
  4. drill — the tool
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. content — videos and posts
  8. mouse — the animal
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. club — for dancing
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. charge — electricity
  13. drill — a practice
  14. charge — in control
  15. content — the amount
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. cell — a phone
  18. charge — a price
  19. pit — in a race
  20. content — happy
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — for golf
  23. pit — a fruit stone
  24. cell — in biology

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