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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 nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  6. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  7. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  10. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  11. My father caught me by the ________________.
  12. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  13. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. chest — of your body
  4. ground — a position
  5. deal — a big deal
  6. ground — crushed
  7. bowl — a football final
  8. court — of law
  9. bowl — a dish
  10. chest — a box
  11. arm — part of the body
  12. stem — a stem cell
  13. deal — to handle
  14. ground — the earth
  15. chest — of your body
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. stem — of a plant
  18. court — of a king
  19. arm — part of the body
  20. stem — to come from
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. court — for sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. arm — a part of something

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