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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. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  12. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  21. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. court — of a king
  3. wake — to stop sleeping
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. stick — a piece of wood
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rock — a stone
  8. lean — thin
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. wake — before a funeral
  12. lean — to bend
  13. squash — to crush
  14. wake — a trail
  15. fine — all right
  16. rock — to move gently
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. court — of law
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. rock — music
  21. lean — to rest against
  22. squash — the sport
  23. court — for sport
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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