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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: patient · row · deal · ground · club · leaves · file · rock

  1. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  4. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  5. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  8. There's no middle ________________.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  11. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  16. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  17. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  24. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — to move gently
  2. deal — to handle
  3. club — for dancing
  4. file — a line of people
  5. leaves — lets stay
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. leaves — of a tree
  8. ground — a position
  9. rock — music
  10. deal — a big deal
  11. ground — crushed
  12. row — to paddle
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. row — a line
  16. ground — the earth
  17. club — a group
  18. club — for golf
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. rock — a stone
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. file — a document
  24. file — a tool

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