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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. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. Don't do anything ________________.
  7. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  8. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  11. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  14. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. He is an ace ________________.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. lash — an eyelash
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. rash — hasty
  7. lash — to lash out
  8. rash — a series
  9. court — for sport
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. present — the time now
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. fine — high quality
  14. present — a gift
  15. fine — all right
  16. present — there
  17. stand — to bear
  18. pitcher — in baseball
  19. court — of law
  20. court — of a king
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. lash — a whip stroke
  24. fine — a penalty

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