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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Have you settled on a ________________?
  13. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  17. When are we going to ________________?
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  20. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  24. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — a group
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. club — for golf
  6. face — part of the head
  7. stand — to bear
  8. current — of water
  9. club — for dancing
  10. current — happening now
  11. land — ground
  12. date — on the calendar
  13. toast — bread
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. current — electric
  16. face — to point toward
  17. land — to come down
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. toast — a drink to someone
  20. land — a country
  21. date — the fruit
  22. face — to confront
  23. stand — for spectators
  24. date — on the calendar

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