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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ball is in your ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  19. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  20. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. I'd like to play a game of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. perch — the fish
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. sharp — with an edge
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. court — for sport
  14. court — of law
  15. tube — the underground
  16. tube — a container
  17. court — of a king
  18. sharp — clever
  19. perch — for a bird
  20. squash — to crush
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. tube — in a tire
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. squash — the sport

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