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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 120 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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  9. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  14. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  15. Have you found your soul ________________?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Did you ________________ the button?
  24. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for golf
  3. land — to come down
  4. leaves — to go away
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ball — a dance
  7. club — for dancing
  8. board — a flat piece
  9. mate — a friend
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — lets stay
  12. land — a country
  13. leaves — of a tree
  14. press — a publisher
  15. mate — a partner
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. ball — a great time
  18. board — a committee
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. mate — to breed
  21. board — to get on
  22. land — ground
  23. press — to push
  24. press — newspapers

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