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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. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  15. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  16. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. spring — the season
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — the bottom
  4. land — ground
  5. calf — of the leg
  6. court — of law
  7. foot — part of the body
  8. court — of a king
  9. pass — to spend time
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. court — for sport
  14. spring — of water
  15. pass — a permit
  16. ruler — a monarch
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. land — to come down
  19. spring — a coil
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. land — a country

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