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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 120 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. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  2. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I've got to change the light ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  9. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. The light ________________ burned out.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. firm — steady
  2. squash — the vegetable
  3. court — of law
  4. court — for sport
  5. bulb — for light
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. cue — a hint
  9. squash — the sport
  10. pit — in a race
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. pit — a hole
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. firm — decided
  16. cue — for pool
  17. squash — to crush
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. firm — a company
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. court — of a king
  23. cue — a signal
  24. bat — the 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