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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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Word bank
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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: club · patient · pop · rule · file · squash

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  8. We're almost out of ________________.
  9. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. You don't need to ________________ round.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. club — a group
  3. file — a line of people
  4. pop — music
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. squash — the sport
  7. club — for dancing
  8. pop — soda
  9. file — a tool
  10. squash — to crush
  11. file — a document
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. pop — to visit
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. club — for golf
  16. rule — a law
  17. rule — government
  18. patient — a sick person

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