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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: bore · season · fine · club · degree · patient · bay · track

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Did you ________________ the meat?
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  6. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  11. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  12. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  15. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. My mare is ________________ in color.
  20. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  24. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. season — to add flavour
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. club — for dancing
  5. bore — to drill
  6. fine — high quality
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. track — a path
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. season — of the year
  11. bay — to keep at bay
  12. track — a song
  13. club — a group
  14. bore — to tire
  15. track — to keep track
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. season — in sport
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. bay — a horse colour
  20. degree — temperature
  21. club — for golf
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. degree — from a university
  24. degree — an amount

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