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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  4. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  7. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The ________________ market has crashed.
  12. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. The ________________ went through the wall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. stand — for spectators
  4. nail — for a hammer
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. bear — the animal
  7. stock — goods
  8. stand — to bear
  9. stock — a soup base
  10. court — of law
  11. stock — shares
  12. calf — of the leg
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. nail — for a hammer
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. bear — the animal
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. game — wild animals
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. court — for sport
  24. game — a match

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