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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. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The King held a masked ________________.
  7. Did you ________________ the meat?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  18. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  23. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  24. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.

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

Answer key

  1. season — of the year
  2. squash — the sport
  3. court — for sport
  4. staff — employees
  5. mark — a grade
  6. ball — a dance
  7. season — to add flavour
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. pound — for dogs
  11. court — of a king
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. season — in sport
  14. mark — a trace
  15. staff — employees
  16. court — of law
  17. squash — to crush
  18. ball — a round shape
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. ball — a great time
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. pound — to hit hard
  23. staff — a stick
  24. pound — a weight

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