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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. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  2. The ________________ went through the wall.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  5. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  12. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  13. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  16. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  17. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Have you met the new head ________________?
  22. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  23. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  24. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?

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

Answer key

  1. club — a group
  2. nail — for a hammer
  3. club — for golf
  4. content — the amount
  5. chip — to eat
  6. club — for dancing
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. chip — for betting
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — on a finger
  13. cell — a phone
  14. cell — in biology
  15. content — videos and posts
  16. can — a tin
  17. can — a tin
  18. content — happy
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. can — to be able to
  23. chip — in a computer
  24. coach — pulled by horses

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