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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. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  2. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  8. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  9. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  12. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  13. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  14. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  15. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — an agreement
  2. board — a flat piece
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. calf — a young animal
  5. court — for sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. current — electric
  8. board — to get on
  9. straw — a straw man
  10. court — of law
  11. current — of water
  12. current — happening now
  13. straw — dry grass
  14. board — a committee
  15. hand — help
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. straw — to clutch at straws
  18. deal — to handle
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. court — of a king
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. hand — part of the body
  24. hand — in cards

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