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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: deal · drill · arm · key · club · patient

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. My father caught me by the ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  7. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  8. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. This piece is in a major ________________.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  16. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  17. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. club — a group
  3. arm — part of the body
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. club — for dancing
  6. arm — a part of something
  7. club — for golf
  8. drill — the tool
  9. key — the most important part
  10. key — in music
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. drill — a practice
  15. arm — part of the body
  16. drill — army training
  17. key — for a lock
  18. deal — an agreement

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