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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. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  4. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  16. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. We're on a ________________ here.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. present — the time now
  3. rock — a stone
  4. rock — to move gently
  5. ball — a great time
  6. ball — a dance
  7. court — of a king
  8. season — in sport
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. roll — a cake
  11. present — there
  12. fine — high quality
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fine — a penalty
  16. present — a gift
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. roll — on a roll
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. season — of the year
  21. court — of law
  22. roll — a list
  23. court — for sport
  24. rock — music

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