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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  5. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  6. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  9. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  10. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  11. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  12. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  13. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  14. My mare is ________________ in color.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  21. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  22. My father caught me by the ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. arm — a part of something
  3. firm — a company
  4. chip — to eat
  5. field — for sport
  6. field — a subject
  7. club — for golf
  8. bay — to keep at bay
  9. firm — steady
  10. firm — decided
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. chip — in a computer
  13. mine — for digging
  14. bay — a horse colour
  15. chip — for betting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. bay — a part of the sea
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mine — an explosive
  21. mine — belonging to me
  22. arm — part of the body
  23. club — a group
  24. field — farmland

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