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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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  4. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  5. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  6. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  7. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  8. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. I can't ________________ this cold.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. trunk — of a tree
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. bore — to tire
  6. trunk — of a car
  7. bass — the instrument
  8. arm — a part of something
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. bore — to drill
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. stick — to attach or keep to
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. stand — to bear
  16. court — for sport
  17. bass — the fish
  18. court — of law
  19. trunk — of an elephant
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. stick — a piece of wood
  23. bass — low music
  24. stand — for spectators

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