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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. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. David sat on the ________________.
  9. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  13. There's no middle ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Did you ________________ the meat?
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  21. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  22. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. She had a strange look on her ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. season — in sport
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. swing — music
  4. swing — in golf
  5. court — of law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. season — of the year
  8. swing — to play on
  9. fork — a garden tool
  10. court — of a king
  11. court — for sport
  12. ground — crushed
  13. ground — a position
  14. ground — the earth
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. pit — in a race
  17. season — to add flavour
  18. pit — a hole
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. fork — in a road
  21. face — to point toward
  22. face — to confront
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. face — part of the head

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