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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  3. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Have you found your soul ________________?
  13. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. bear — the animal
  3. perch — the fish
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. rush — hurry
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. degree — an amount
  9. hand — help
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. mate — a partner
  13. perch — for a bird
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. degree — temperature
  16. mate — to breed
  17. degree — from a university
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. ball — a great time
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. bear — the animal
  22. ball — a dance
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. mate — a friend

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