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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  5. Lukas kept the diamonds in a locked ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  11. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  16. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ceiling is a plaster ________________ painted with stars.
  19. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  20. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. Champaud competed in the parallel bars, ________________, and pommel horse events.
  23. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  24. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. deal — an agreement
  5. vault — a safe
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. present — there
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bear — the animal
  11. can — a tin
  12. present — a gift
  13. deal — a big deal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. pitcher — a jug
  16. can — to be able to
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. vault — an arched ceiling
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. bear — to put up with
  21. deal — to handle
  22. vault — in gymnastics
  23. present — the time now
  24. can — a tin

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