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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. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  6. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  7. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Don't do anything ________________.
  13. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  22. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  23. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  24. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. snap — to speak sharply
  3. club — for dancing
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. coach — pulled by horses
  6. snap — to click
  7. row — a line
  8. rash — a series
  9. snap — to snap out of it
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. net — for catching
  12. rash — hasty
  13. coach — a trainer
  14. net — in sport
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. net — after costs
  17. row — to paddle
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. club — a group
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. toast — the most admired
  22. toast — bread
  23. rash — on the skin
  24. toast — a drink to someone

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