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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. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  2. Have you found your soul ________________?
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  20. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. 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. present — the time now
  2. mate — a partner
  3. present — there
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. court — for sport
  6. court — of a king
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. mate — to breed
  9. jam — a tight spot
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. present — a gift
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. rule — government
  17. jam — in traffic
  18. rule — a law
  19. jam — to spread on bread
  20. rule — to rule out
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. mate — a friend
  24. 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