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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. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  2. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  3. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  16. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  17. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  22. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — in cards
  2. perch — for a bird
  3. bark — of a tree
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hand — help
  6. suit — to fit
  7. perch — the fish
  8. court — of law
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. suit — in cards
  13. suit — clothes
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. bark — to shout
  16. mouse — the animal
  17. bark — a dog's sound
  18. court — of a king
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. mouse — for a computer
  22. hand — part of the body
  23. season — in sport
  24. court — for sport

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