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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 works in a ________________ mill.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  13. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  14. She's very handy with a ________________.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  17. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  23. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. wound — an injury
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. board — to get on
  6. fork — in a road
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. club — for golf
  10. club — for dancing
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. scale — size or range
  13. scale — in music
  14. saw — the tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wound — an injury
  17. scale — for weighing
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. pound — a weight
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. board — a committee
  23. pound — to hit hard
  24. club — a group

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