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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 president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. Have you found your soul ________________?
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  8. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  9. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  14. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  15. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  16. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. squash — to crush
  2. court — of law
  3. mate — a partner
  4. mate — to breed
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. field — farmland
  9. can — to be able to
  10. can — a tin
  11. cue — a hint
  12. can — a tin
  13. field — a subject
  14. mate — a friend
  15. field — for sport
  16. cue — for pool
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. cue — a signal
  21. court — of a king
  22. squash — the sport
  23. calf — of the leg
  24. court — for 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