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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. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  4. Where did you ________________ them?
  5. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  6. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  14. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  15. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — a fruit stone
  4. mug — to rob
  5. stock — a soup base
  6. fall — to drop
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. stock — goods
  10. pit — in a race
  11. pit — a hole
  12. fall — to drop
  13. mug — a cup
  14. kick — a thrill
  15. fall — the season
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. foot — a measure
  19. stock — shares
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. court — for sport
  22. court — of law
  23. kick — in football
  24. mug — a face

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