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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. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. The King held a masked ________________.
  4. The light ________________ burned out.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  11. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  14. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I've got to change the light ________________.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. game — wild animals
  3. ball — a dance
  4. bulb — for light
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. ground — crushed
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. ground — the earth
  11. wave — of the sea
  12. court — of law
  13. chest — of your body
  14. wave — with your hand
  15. ground — a position
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. ball — a great time
  18. chest — of your body
  19. court — for sport
  20. bulb — for light
  21. court — of a king
  22. bulb — of a plant
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. game — a match

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