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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. That was a fun ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  6. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  7. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  11. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. How do you ________________ your surname?
  15. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  19. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  20. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  21. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  22. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a match
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. object — an aim
  4. court — of law
  5. face — to point toward
  6. squash — the sport
  7. spell — a short time
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. game — wild animals
  10. object — a thing
  11. squash — the vegetable
  12. mark — a grade
  13. court — for sport
  14. spell — letters
  15. object — to protest
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. face — part of the head
  19. game — a kind of play
  20. mark — a trace
  21. face — to confront
  22. spell — magic
  23. court — of a king
  24. squash — to crush

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