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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 got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. How do you ________________ your surname?
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Beijing is the ________________ of China.
  13. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. A second agreement was made due to the large amount of available ________________.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The beginning of a sentence starts with a ________________ letter.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. club — for golf
  4. spell — letters
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. hand — help
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. capital — a city
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. spell — a short time
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. capital — money
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. capital — a big letter
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. club — for dancing
  21. spell — magic
  22. club — a group
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. nail — on a finger

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