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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  6. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We're on a ________________ here.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. It's one o'clock ________________.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. fine — high quality
  3. wind — to turn a key
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. roll — a list
  6. wind — moving air
  7. fine — all right
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. present — the time now
  11. club — for golf
  12. roll — a cake
  13. sharp — clever
  14. wind — moving air
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. roll — on a roll
  17. present — there
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pound — a weight
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. sharp — exactly
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. present — a gift

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