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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. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  5. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  6. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  9. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  15. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  16. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. It's one o'clock ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. court — of law
  3. fine — high quality
  4. fine — all right
  5. current — happening now
  6. present — a gift
  7. fall — the season
  8. sharp — with an edge
  9. present — there
  10. current — of water
  11. fine — a penalty
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. club — a group
  14. sharp — clever
  15. current — electric
  16. present — the time now
  17. court — for sport
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. fall — to drop
  20. club — for dancing
  21. court — of a king
  22. club — for golf
  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