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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. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  9. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. shower — to wash
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ruler — for measuring
  4. club — for dancing
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. shower — rain
  7. court — for sport
  8. pound — a weight
  9. fork — to eat with
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. shower — a meteor shower
  12. court — of law
  13. pound — to hit hard
  14. foot — a measure
  15. court — of a king
  16. club — for golf
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. ruler — for measuring
  20. club — a group
  21. pound — for dogs
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. ruler — a monarch
  24. fork — in a road

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