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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  3. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  10. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  15. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  16. My father caught me by the ________________.
  17. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  19. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  20. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bank — of a river
  3. bore — to tire
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bank — for money
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. court — for sport
  8. present — a gift
  9. bore — gave birth
  10. rest — a break
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. arm — part of the body
  13. bore — to drill
  14. bank — for money
  15. arm — a part of something
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. content — the amount
  18. rest — what's left
  19. content — happy
  20. present — the time now
  21. court — of a king
  22. rest — what's left
  23. present — there
  24. content — videos and posts

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