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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: club · staff · wax · row · game · fine · firm · patient

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  4. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The moon will ________________ and wane.
  12. The museum has ________________ figures of famous people.
  13. What's the best way to remove ear ________________?
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  22. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  23. That was a fun ________________.
  24. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. firm — decided
  3. club — for golf
  4. fine — high quality
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. club — a group
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. row — to paddle
  9. fine — all right
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. wax — to grow
  12. wax — for sculpting
  13. wax — in the ear
  14. staff — a stick
  15. row — a quarrel
  16. firm — steady
  17. game — wild animals
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. club — for dancing
  20. firm — a company
  21. staff — employees
  22. row — a line
  23. game — a match
  24. staff — employees

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