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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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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: calf · bowl · mark · cell · firm · patient · court · fan

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. He was locked up in a ________________.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  9. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  10. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  19. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  20. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. court — of law
  5. court — for sport
  6. cell — in a prison
  7. firm — steady
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. mark — to pay attention
  10. bowl — a football final
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. cell — in biology
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. mark — a trace
  17. court — of a king
  18. cell — a phone
  19. calf — a young animal
  20. firm — a company
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. firm — decided
  23. calf — a young animal
  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