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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. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  16. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. Have you met the new head ________________?
  23. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  24. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — employees
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. court — of law
  5. rest — a break
  6. rest — what's left
  7. rush — hurry
  8. mark — a grade
  9. court — of a king
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. staff — employees
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. row — a line
  15. mark — to pay attention
  16. mark — a trace
  17. court — for sport
  18. row — to paddle
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. staff — a stick
  22. coach — a trainer
  23. rush — to hurry
  24. rest — what's left

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