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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 116 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. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. The King held a masked ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bear — the animal
  4. ball — a great time
  5. mark — a trace
  6. bear — the animal
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mark — a grade
  9. bass — the fish
  10. ball — a dance
  11. court — for sport
  12. court — of law
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bass — the instrument
  17. court — of a king
  18. bear — to put up with

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