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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. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  10. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  13. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  14. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  15. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. I've got to change the light ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  21. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. The light ________________ burned out.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — before a funeral
  2. ball — a dance
  3. court — for sport
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. wake — to stop sleeping
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wake — a trail
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. bear — to put up with
  10. present — the time now
  11. court — of law
  12. bulb — of a plant
  13. bear — the animal
  14. bear — the animal
  15. squash — to crush
  16. ball — a great time
  17. bulb — for light
  18. present — there
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. squash — the vegetable
  21. present — a gift
  22. squash — the sport
  23. bulb — for light
  24. court — of a king

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