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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  4. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  11. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  16. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  19. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. court — of law
  3. toast — the most admired
  4. row — to paddle
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. spell — letters
  7. court — for sport
  8. spell — magic
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. row — a line
  11. spell — a short time
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. toast — a drink to someone
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. toast — bread
  16. deal — to handle
  17. current — of water
  18. deal — an agreement
  19. deal — a big deal
  20. current — happening now
  21. court — of a king
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. current — electric
  24. patient — a sick person

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