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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 116 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. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  3. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  13. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  17. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. bore — gave birth
  3. bore — to drill
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. bore — to tire
  6. craft — boats
  7. fall — to drop
  8. craft — a skill
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — for sport
  12. rush — hurry
  13. craft — a handicraft
  14. court — of a king
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. degree — an amount
  17. fall — to drop
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. degree — from a university
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fall — the season
  22. degree — temperature
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mouse — for a computer

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