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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. My mare is ________________ in color.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  16. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  19. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  22. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  23. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bay — a horse colour
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. club — for golf
  5. club — for dancing
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. club — a group
  8. net — in sport
  9. net — for catching
  10. swing — music
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. hand — help
  14. swing — to play on
  15. bay — a part of the sea
  16. stand — for spectators
  17. stand — to bear
  18. stand — on your feet
  19. net — after costs
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bay — to keep at bay
  22. hand — in cards
  23. arm — part of the body
  24. swing — in golf

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