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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. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  3. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  8. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  9. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  10. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  11. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. Check the label for the sugar ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. current — of water
  3. ball — a great time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. fall — the season
  7. board — a committee
  8. fall — to drop
  9. content — happy
  10. current — happening now
  11. content — videos and posts
  12. court — of law
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. court — of a king
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. board — to get on
  17. court — for sport
  18. board — a flat piece
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. wound — an injury
  21. fall — to drop
  22. wound — an injury
  23. current — electric
  24. content — the amount

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