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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 fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  2. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  18. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. bass — the fish
  2. trunk — of an elephant
  3. court — of a king
  4. trunk — of a tree
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. court — of law
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — for sport
  13. stand — to bear
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. bass — low music
  18. arm — a part of something

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