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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: ball · club · row · bay · snap · patient · mouse · sharp

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  7. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  13. My mare is ________________ in color.
  14. It's one o'clock ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  21. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  22. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. sharp — clever
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. snap — to snap out of it
  5. club — a group
  6. row — to paddle
  7. bay — to keep at bay
  8. club — for golf
  9. sharp — with an edge
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. ball — a great time
  13. bay — a horse colour
  14. sharp — exactly
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a dance
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — a quarrel
  19. club — for dancing
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. row — a line
  22. snap — to speak sharply
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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