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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. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  5. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  8. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  11. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  12. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  13. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. You don't need to ________________ round.
  20. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. We're almost out of ________________.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. club — for golf
  5. row — to paddle
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. bowl — a dish
  8. bowl — a football final
  9. degree — temperature
  10. row — a quarrel
  11. club — for dancing
  12. club — a group
  13. degree — an amount
  14. pop — music
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. row — a line
  19. pop — to visit
  20. deal — a big deal
  21. degree — from a university
  22. pop — soda
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. deal — to handle

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