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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. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  7. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  10. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  11. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  12. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  23. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  24. She got the top ________________ in the exam.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — the vegetable
  2. court — of law
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. calf — a young animal
  7. mark — to pay attention
  8. mark — a trace
  9. field — for sport
  10. squash — to crush
  11. bowl — a dish
  12. field — a subject
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. squash — the sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. calf — of the leg
  19. court — for sport
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. field — farmland
  23. bowl — a football final
  24. mark — a grade

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