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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 · object · ground · court · last · rule · bowl

  1. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  2. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. There's no middle ________________.
  5. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  13. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — to rule out
  2. ground — the earth
  3. last — final
  4. ground — a position
  5. object — to protest
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. court — for sport
  9. object — an aim
  10. bowl — a dish
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. bowl — to roll
  13. last — finally
  14. court — of a king
  15. rule — a law
  16. object — a thing
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. calf — of the leg
  20. court — of law
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. rule — government
  23. last — to go on
  24. ground — crushed

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