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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 116 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. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. It's one o'clock ________________.
  12. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  13. He works in a ________________ mill.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  18. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. court — for sport
  4. pound — for dogs
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. pound — a weight
  10. court — of a king
  11. sharp — exactly
  12. saw — past of 'see'
  13. saw — the tool
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. fork — to eat with
  16. saw — the tool
  17. fork — in a road
  18. rush — hurry
  19. rest — a break
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. sharp — clever
  23. court — of law
  24. rest — what's left

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