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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: game · hide · patient · club · roll · spell · cue · firm

  1. We're on a ________________ here.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. That was a fun ________________.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  9. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  10. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  11. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  12. How do you ________________ your surname?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  21. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.

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

Answer key

  1. roll — on a roll
  2. firm — steady
  3. club — a group
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. cue — for pool
  6. game — a match
  7. game — wild animals
  8. roll — a cake
  9. firm — a company
  10. cue — a signal
  11. hide — to keep secret
  12. spell — letters
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. roll — a list
  15. spell — magic
  16. firm — decided
  17. club — for golf
  18. club — for dancing
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. hide — to keep secret
  21. hide — animal skin
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. cue — a hint
  24. spell — a short time

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