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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 116 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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  6. David sat on the ________________.
  7. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  8. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  9. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  14. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  21. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  22. My mare is ________________ in color.
  23. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. race — humankind
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. race — a contest
  5. hand — part of the body
  6. swing — to play on
  7. race — the arms race
  8. wound — an injury
  9. board — a flat piece
  10. club — a group
  11. wound — an injury
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. hand — help
  14. swing — music
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. club — for dancing
  17. wound — past of 'wind'
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. board — a committee
  21. board — to get on
  22. bay — a horse colour
  23. swing — in golf
  24. hand — in cards

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