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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: kid · rush · nail · club · patient · rule · jam · squash

  1. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  10. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  11. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. That must've been a ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The ________________ went through the wall.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. club — for golf
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. kid — child
  4. club — for dancing
  5. kid — to tease
  6. club — a group
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. nail — for a hammer
  10. squash — the sport
  11. rule — government
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  16. rush — hurry
  17. rush — a thrill
  18. rule — a law
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. jam — in traffic
  24. squash — to crush

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