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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. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. What do you think of the new ________________?
  12. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  22. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. This knife is not ________________ enough.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. chest — of your body
  3. court — for sport
  4. cabinet — ministers
  5. court — of a king
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. cabinet — a cupboard
  8. court — of law
  9. club — for golf
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — ministers
  12. club — for dancing
  13. sharp — clever
  14. rush — to hurry
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. rush — hurry
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. chest — of your body
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. club — a group
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — with an edge

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