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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 120 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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  5. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. That was ________________ to happen.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. club — a group
  3. mark — a grade
  4. bound — obliged
  5. bay — a part of the sea
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. fan — a supporter
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bay — to keep at bay
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. bound — certain
  13. row — to paddle
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. bound — tied together
  17. mark — a trace
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. row — a line
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. club — for dancing

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