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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 old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  5. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  11. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  20. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  23. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  24. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. club — a group
  3. court — of law
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. field — farmland
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. wake — before a funeral
  8. wake — a trail
  9. court — for sport
  10. field — for sport
  11. wave — a sudden rise
  12. staff — employees
  13. club — for golf
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. court — of a king
  17. wave — with your hand
  18. club — for dancing
  19. field — a subject
  20. wake — to stop sleeping
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. safe — a strongbox
  23. staff — employees
  24. wave — of the sea

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