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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. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  11. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. land — a country
  3. club — for dancing
  4. safe — out of danger
  5. wound — an injury
  6. land — ground
  7. club — a group
  8. wound — past of 'wind'
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. safe — a strongbox
  11. game — a kind of play
  12. land — to come down
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. wound — an injury
  15. game — a match
  16. club — for golf
  17. safe — out of danger
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. last — to go on
  20. last — finally
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. game — wild animals
  24. last — final

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