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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. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  3. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  6. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  21. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  22. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. craft — boats
  3. spell — a short time
  4. ball — a dance
  5. bowl — a dish
  6. craft — a handicraft
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. net — for catching
  9. spell — magic
  10. net — in sport
  11. cap — a hat
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bowl — to roll
  16. net — after costs
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. bowl — a football final
  19. cap — a lid
  20. craft — a skill
  21. ball — a great time
  22. cap — of ice
  23. spell — letters
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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