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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: ground · pass · track · patient · club · arm · stock · racket

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ________________ market has crashed.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. My father caught me by the ________________.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  18. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  23. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  24. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. club — for dancing
  3. ground — the earth
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. stock — shares
  7. track — a song
  8. track — a path
  9. stock — goods
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. ground — a position
  14. stock — a soup base
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. club — for golf
  17. pass — to succeed
  18. ground — crushed
  19. pass — a permit
  20. club — a group
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. pass — to spend time
  23. track — to keep track
  24. arm — part of the body

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