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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. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  11. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  15. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  16. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  17. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  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. fork — a garden tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. key — in music
  5. club — for golf
  6. rest — what's left
  7. key — the most important part
  8. key — for a lock
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. fork — in a road
  11. cap — a lid
  12. rest — a break
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. rule — government
  15. cap — of ice
  16. club — for dancing
  17. rule — to rule out
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. rest — what's left
  20. fork — to eat with
  21. club — a group
  22. cap — a hat
  23. pound — a weight
  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