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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 120 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 black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  3. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  23. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. cap — of ice
  3. mine — belonging to me
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. court — for sport
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cap — a hat
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. court — of law
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. cap — a lid
  14. court — of a king
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. fork — in a road
  17. mine — for digging
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. fork — a garden tool
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. bear — to put up with
  23. bear — the animal
  24. calf — a young animal

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