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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. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  14. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  15. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  19. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ruler — for measuring
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. leaves — of a tree
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. deal — to handle
  11. court — of a king
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. leaves — lets stay
  14. ruler — a monarch
  15. pitch — a sales talk
  16. spring — of water
  17. fine — all right
  18. spring — the season
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. fine — high quality
  21. pitch — completely
  22. spring — a coil
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. pitch — a sports field

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