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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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  4. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  5. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  6. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. Its rival in the ________________ War, the Soviet Union, exploited this at the time.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  18. I had a bad ________________ and was in bed for a week.
  19. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The water is too ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. court — of law
  3. present — the time now
  4. mouse — the animal
  5. club — a group
  6. present — there
  7. firm — steady
  8. row — to paddle
  9. club — for dancing
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. present — a gift
  12. court — of a king
  13. cold — the Cold War
  14. row — a line
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. row — a quarrel
  18. cold — an illness
  19. club — for golf
  20. firm — a company
  21. court — for sport
  22. cold — not warm
  23. firm — decided
  24. patient — a sick person

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