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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. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  7. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  8. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  9. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  15. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  16. The tickets are free of ________________.
  17. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  18. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. bark — to shout
  7. charge — electricity
  8. can — to be able to
  9. pass — to succeed
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. bark — a dog's sound
  12. court — of law
  13. court — for sport
  14. calf — a young animal
  15. hand — in cards
  16. charge — a price
  17. charge — in control
  18. hand — help
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pass — a permit
  22. can — a tin
  23. can — a tin
  24. court — of a king

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