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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. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  5. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  12. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  13. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  14. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  24. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. land — ground
  5. mouse — for a computer
  6. land — a country
  7. bass — low music
  8. land — to come down
  9. fall — to drop
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. perch — for a bird
  12. bass — the fish
  13. bear — to put up with
  14. fall — to drop
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. court — of a king
  17. court — of law
  18. perch — the fish
  19. court — for sport
  20. bear — the animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. perch — for a bird
  24. fall — the season

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