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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 drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. The ________________ went through the wall.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  6. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  7. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  14. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  17. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  23. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. club — a group
  3. nail — for a hammer
  4. court — of law
  5. mine — an explosive
  6. stand — for spectators
  7. mine — for digging
  8. club — for golf
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. court — of a king
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — to bear
  13. track — a path
  14. current — electric
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. track — to keep track
  17. nail — on a finger
  18. court — for sport
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. track — a song
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. current — happening now
  23. current — of water
  24. club — for dancing

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