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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 ________________ change colour in autumn.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  10. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. David sat on the ________________.
  20. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. leaves — of a tree
  2. ball — a dance
  3. court — for sport
  4. bear — the animal
  5. ball — a great time
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. bear — the animal
  10. sharp — clever
  11. court — of a king
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. bowl — a dish
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. court — of law
  16. swing — music
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. swing — to play on
  20. swing — in golf
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. sharp — exactly

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