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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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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I can't ________________ this cold.
  8. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  9. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  14. You don't need to ________________ round.
  15. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. court — for sport
  3. race — humankind
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. race — the arms race
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. stand — to bear
  8. straw — a straw man
  9. straw — to clutch at straws
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pop — music
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. race — a contest
  14. pop — to visit
  15. straw — dry grass
  16. pop — soda
  17. court — of a king
  18. court — of law

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