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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. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The King held a masked ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  15. That was ________________ to happen.
  16. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  17. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  23. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  24. We are ________________ to obey laws.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. calf — a young animal
  3. deal — to handle
  4. ground — the earth
  5. ground — a position
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. degree — an amount
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. fine — high quality
  11. ball — a dance
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. fine — all right
  15. bound — certain
  16. bound — tied together
  17. degree — from a university
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. ground — crushed
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. degree — temperature
  23. deal — an agreement
  24. bound — obliged

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