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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. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  7. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  8. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  9. Have you settled on a ________________?
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  17. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  20. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  21. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  22. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  23. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. wake — to stop sleeping
  3. court — of a king
  4. court — for sport
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. kick — a thrill
  7. spring — of water
  8. pitch — a sales talk
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. court — of law
  11. wake — a trail
  12. pitch — a sports field
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. spring — the season
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. kick — in football
  17. spring — a coil
  18. bank — of a river
  19. wake — before a funeral
  20. pitch — completely
  21. bank — for money
  22. kick — with a leg
  23. bank — for money
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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