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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  3. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  8. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  9. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  10. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. season — of the year
  3. snap — to snap out of it
  4. court — of a king
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. scale — size or range
  7. roll — a list
  8. chair — to sit on
  9. safe — a strongbox
  10. scale — in music
  11. court — of law
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. snap — to click
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. chair — a leader
  18. roll — a cake
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. chair — a professorship
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. season — in sport
  24. court — for sport

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