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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. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  19. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  20. I'll be taking the ________________.
  21. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. wave — a sudden rise
  7. club — for golf
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. pitcher — a jug
  10. club — a group
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. tube — in a tire
  13. cue — a signal
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. cue — a hint
  16. craft — a skill
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wave — of the sea
  19. bat — the animal
  20. tube — the underground
  21. craft — boats
  22. club — for dancing
  23. tube — a container
  24. cue — for pool

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