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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 would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  2. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  12. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  15. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  16. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  24. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — a drink to someone
  2. toast — the most admired
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. court — for sport
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. court — of law
  10. court — of a king
  11. mouse — the animal
  12. hide — to keep secret
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. degree — from a university
  15. prune — to trim
  16. prune — the fruit
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. toast — bread
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. prune — to trim
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. degree — an amount
  24. degree — temperature

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