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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  5. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  15. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. Where did you ________________ them?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. The people resisted their cruel ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. club — for dancing
  4. degree — from a university
  5. degree — temperature
  6. dip — to sink
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. mug — a face
  9. kick — in football
  10. club — for golf
  11. staff — employees
  12. degree — an amount
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. staff — employees
  15. ruler — for measuring
  16. club — a group
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. kick — a thrill
  20. mug — a cup
  21. mug — to rob
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. ruler — a monarch

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