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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. Did you ________________ the button?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  14. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  15. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  16. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  17. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  18. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. ground — the earth
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. suit — in cards
  5. rule — government
  6. suit — clothes
  7. date — the fruit
  8. ground — crushed
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. press — to push
  12. club — for dancing
  13. press — a publisher
  14. rule — to rule out
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. club — a group
  17. press — newspapers
  18. stick — to attach or keep to
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. ground — a position
  22. suit — to fit
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. rule — a law

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