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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: patient · court · cell · rule · swing · wake

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  14. David sat on the ________________.
  15. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  18. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. swing — in golf
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. wake — to stop sleeping
  5. court — of law
  6. wake — a trail
  7. court — for sport
  8. court — of a king
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. rule — a law
  14. swing — to play on
  15. rule — government
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cell — a phone
  18. swing — music

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