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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 116 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. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  21. He works in a ________________ mill.
  22. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. saw — past of 'see'
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. club — a group
  6. club — for dancing
  7. can — a tin
  8. land — to come down
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. can — a tin
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. can — to be able to
  16. saw — the tool
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. land — ground
  20. leaves — of a tree
  21. saw — the tool
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. land — a country

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