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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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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: patient · calf · arm · toast · temple · deal · court · pitcher

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  3. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  4. My father caught me by the ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  8. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  9. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  12. When was this ________________ built?
  13. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  16. The ball is in your ________________.
  17. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  18. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  19. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. toast — bread
  3. arm — a part of something
  4. arm — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. court — of law
  7. calf — a young animal
  8. deal — a big deal
  9. arm — part of the body
  10. court — of a king
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. temple — a place of worship
  13. calf — of the leg
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. toast — a drink to someone
  16. court — for sport
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. toast — the most admired
  19. temple — side of the head
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. temple — a place of worship
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. deal — to handle
  24. pitcher — in baseball

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