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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. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  7. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  8. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  16. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  17. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  18. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  19. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  20. That was a fun ________________.
  21. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  22. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. wave — with your hand
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. pound — for dogs
  7. wave — of the sea
  8. object — to protest
  9. object — an aim
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. last — finally
  12. court — of a king
  13. object — a thing
  14. last — to go on
  15. branch — a division
  16. branch — of a tree
  17. game — wild animals
  18. wave — a sudden rise
  19. pound — a weight
  20. game — a match
  21. game — a kind of play
  22. branch — of a bank
  23. court — of law
  24. last — final

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