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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  17. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  18. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  19. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. squash — the sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. court — of a king
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. swing — in golf
  8. branch — of a tree
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. swing — music
  13. court — of law
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. staff — employees
  16. staff — employees
  17. branch — of a bank
  18. staff — a stick
  19. mark — a grade
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. branch — a division
  22. court — for sport
  23. squash — to crush
  24. mark — a trace

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