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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. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. The tickets are free of ________________.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  9. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  16. Where did you ________________ them?
  17. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  21. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  22. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. He refilled his coffee ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. club — for golf
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. clip — for paper
  5. charge — a price
  6. scale — in music
  7. club — for dancing
  8. net — in sport
  9. charge — electricity
  10. pound — a weight
  11. scale — size or range
  12. club — a group
  13. net — after costs
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. pound — for dogs
  16. mug — to rob
  17. mug — a face
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. charge — in control
  21. clip — a video
  22. scale — for weighing
  23. clip — to cut
  24. mug — a cup

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