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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 ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. It was raining hard, and to make things worse, the ________________ was beginning to rise.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  9. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  13. The strong ________________ blew his hat off.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  16. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. When will it ________________ you to start?
  20. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  21. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. He sold his goods at a loss to ________________ up his business.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of law
  2. fan — to cool the air
  3. court — of a king
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. suit — clothes
  6. wind — moving air
  7. race — a contest
  8. race — the arms race
  9. calf — of the leg
  10. court — for sport
  11. scale — size or range
  12. fan — a supporter
  13. wind — moving air
  14. race — humankind
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. fan — a supporter
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. suit — to fit
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. scale — in music
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wind — to turn a key
  24. scale — for weighing

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