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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: dip · club · track · patient · court · snap · stick · hide

  1. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  4. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  12. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  16. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. We have nothing to ________________ here.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — to attach or keep to
  2. club — for dancing
  3. track — a path
  4. dip — to sink
  5. snap — to click
  6. dip — to dunk
  7. track — a song
  8. track — to keep track
  9. snap — to speak sharply
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. hide — animal skin
  12. snap — to snap out of it
  13. club — for golf
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. hide — to keep secret
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. court — for sport
  23. club — a group
  24. hide — to keep secret

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