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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. I'll be taking the ________________.
  12. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  16. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  19. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. club — for dancing
  3. rest — what's left
  4. tube — a container
  5. rest — a break
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. rash — a series
  8. club — for golf
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. tube — the underground
  12. root — of a word
  13. rash — hasty
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. swing — in golf
  16. wound — past of 'wind'
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. wound — an injury
  19. root — the cause
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — of a plant
  22. wound — an injury
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. rash — on the skin

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