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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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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: land · patient · hide · court · pitcher · staff

  1. He is an ace ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. When are we going to ________________?
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  6. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  10. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  16. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. court — of a king
  3. land — to come down
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. land — a country
  7. staff — employees
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. staff — a stick
  10. hide — to keep secret
  11. land — ground
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. staff — employees
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. court — for sport
  18. court — of law

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