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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 120 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. There's no middle ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. The ________________ market has crashed.
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  20. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  21. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ground — a position
  3. rest — a break
  4. ground — crushed
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. racket — a loud noise
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. calf — a young animal
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. club — a group
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ground — the earth
  13. club — for golf
  14. staff — a stick
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. stock — shares
  17. rest — what's left
  18. staff — employees
  19. stock — goods
  20. rest — what's left
  21. staff — employees
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. club — for dancing

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