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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. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  20. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  23. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. game — a kind of play
  3. kid — to tease
  4. bay — to keep at bay
  5. club — for dancing
  6. squash — the sport
  7. club — a group
  8. bass — the fish
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. squash — the vegetable
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. squash — to crush
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. craft — a skill
  20. craft — boats
  21. game — wild animals
  22. bass — low music
  23. club — for golf
  24. game — a match

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