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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. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  6. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  12. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  13. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  14. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  15. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  18. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  19. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — to sink
  2. court — for sport
  3. current — electric
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. dip — to dunk
  6. scale — size or range
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. craft — boats
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. calf — of the leg
  12. pound — a weight
  13. craft — a skill
  14. craft — a handicraft
  15. calf — a young animal
  16. court — of law
  17. scale — in music
  18. scale — for weighing
  19. dip — a sauce
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. current — of water
  22. pound — for dogs
  23. court — of a king
  24. current — happening now

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