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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. The ________________ market has crashed.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  8. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  9. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  10. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  14. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  18. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  19. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  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. present — the time now
  2. club — a group
  3. chip — to eat
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stock — shares
  6. degree — an amount
  7. degree — temperature
  8. chair — a professorship
  9. chip — in a computer
  10. stock — a soup base
  11. pound — a weight
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. degree — from a university
  14. club — for dancing
  15. club — for golf
  16. present — there
  17. pound — for dogs
  18. stock — goods
  19. chair — a leader
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. chip — for betting
  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