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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  10. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  15. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  16. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  17. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  18. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  19. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  20. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. safe — out of danger
  3. track — a song
  4. key — in music
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. safe — out of danger
  7. chip — to eat
  8. track — to keep track
  9. shower — rain
  10. key — the most important part
  11. club — for dancing
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. club — a group
  14. key — for a lock
  15. track — a path
  16. chip — for betting
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. safe — a strongbox
  19. mouse — for a computer
  20. chip — in a computer
  21. club — for golf
  22. shower — a meteor shower
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. patient — a sick person

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