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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I can't ________________ this cold.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. Did you ________________ the button?
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  11. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  20. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. net — in sport
  3. net — after costs
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. stand — to bear
  6. court — for sport
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. press — to push
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. wave — a sudden rise
  11. kid — child
  12. court — of law
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. wave — of the sea
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. wave — with your hand
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. net — for catching
  19. stand — on your feet
  20. press — newspapers
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. press — a publisher
  23. kid — to tease
  24. calf — a young animal

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