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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. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  5. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  19. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.

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

Answer key

  1. board — a flat piece
  2. court — of a king
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rest — a break
  5. lash — an eyelash
  6. game — wild animals
  7. court — of law
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. bear — the animal
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. board — to get on
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. rest — what's left
  17. court — for sport
  18. mouse — the animal
  19. rest — what's left
  20. bear — the animal
  21. board — a committee
  22. game — a match
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. lash — to lash out

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