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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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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: rest · hide · bowl · net · stick · patient · club · fan

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  6. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  7. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. rest — what's left
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. rest — a break
  5. club — for golf
  6. stick — to attach or keep to
  7. hide — animal skin
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. club — for dancing
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. net — after costs
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. net — in sport
  15. club — a group
  16. hide — to keep secret
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. bowl — to roll
  24. rest — what's left

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