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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 120 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 party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  7. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  8. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  11. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Have you met the new head ________________?
  17. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  23. Don't do anything ________________.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — a series
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. cue — for pool
  5. court — of a king
  6. band — a music group
  7. band — a ring
  8. rest — what's left
  9. court — of law
  10. rest — what's left
  11. coach — a trainer
  12. cell — a phone
  13. coach — pulled by horses
  14. court — for sport
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. cue — a signal
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. rest — a break
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. cell — in biology
  23. rash — hasty
  24. cue — a hint

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