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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  3. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  10. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  23. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  24. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. row — a quarrel
  3. rule — government
  4. staff — a stick
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. staff — employees
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. pound — a weight
  9. degree — temperature
  10. rule — to rule out
  11. club — for golf
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. staff — employees
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — to hit hard
  16. degree — an amount
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. club — for dancing
  19. rule — a law
  20. row — to paddle
  21. row — a line
  22. club — a group
  23. wave — with your hand
  24. degree — from a university

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