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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. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  15. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  16. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  19. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. race — humankind
  4. bear — the animal
  5. perch — for a bird
  6. chip — to eat
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — for sport
  9. court — of a king
  10. perch — for a bird
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. race — a contest
  13. lie — to recline
  14. lie — an untruth
  15. chip — for betting
  16. race — the arms race
  17. court — of law
  18. bear — to put up with
  19. bear — the animal
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. perch — the fish
  24. patient — a sick person

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