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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. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. The King held a masked ________________.
  15. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. stem — to come from
  3. mate — a partner
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. mate — a friend
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. object — an aim
  10. ball — a great time
  11. object — to protest
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. ball — a dance
  15. mate — to breed
  16. rush — hurry
  17. object — a thing
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stem — a stem cell
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of a king
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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