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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 kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  6. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  12. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  13. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  14. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. That was ________________ to happen.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. net — in sport
  3. bound — tied together
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. perch — the fish
  6. perch — for a bird
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. ball — a great time
  9. court — of a king
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. club — a group
  12. perch — for a bird
  13. bound — obliged
  14. calf — of the leg
  15. court — for sport
  16. net — after costs
  17. net — for catching
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bound — certain
  20. club — for dancing
  21. ball — a dance
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. court — of law
  24. club — for golf

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