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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 ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  4. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  5. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  9. You don't need to ________________ round.
  10. We're almost out of ________________.
  11. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. We're on a ________________ here.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  18. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  21. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. roll — a list
  3. lash — to lash out
  4. roll — a cake
  5. content — videos and posts
  6. court — of a king
  7. content — the amount
  8. lash — an eyelash
  9. pop — to visit
  10. pop — soda
  11. lash — a whip stroke
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. roll — on a roll
  14. swing — to play on
  15. court — of law
  16. race — the arms race
  17. swing — music
  18. content — happy
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. race — humankind
  21. race — a contest
  22. court — for sport
  23. pop — music
  24. swing — in golf

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