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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. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  6. Where did you ________________ them?
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. When will it ________________ you to start?
  15. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. race — humankind
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. present — a gift
  5. present — there
  6. mug — to rob
  7. suit — in cards
  8. race — a contest
  9. suit — clothes
  10. prune — to trim
  11. prune — to trim
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. suit — to fit
  15. mug — a cup
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. present — the time now
  18. mug — a face
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — of law
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. race — the arms race
  24. racket — for tennis

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