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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 116 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. There's no middle ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. The light ________________ burned out.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. I've got to change the light ________________.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  18. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  19. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. kick — in football
  3. bulb — for light
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. squash — to crush
  6. rule — government
  7. bulb — of a plant
  8. court — of a king
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fine — all right
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fine — high quality
  13. bulb — for light
  14. ground — the earth
  15. kick — with a leg
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. ground — crushed
  18. fine — a penalty
  19. rule — a law
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. squash — the sport
  24. kick — a thrill

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