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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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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: chair · fine · deal · rule · patient · court

  1. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  14. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — to sit on
  2. court — of law
  3. rule — to rule out
  4. deal — to handle
  5. rule — government
  6. fine — all right
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. fine — a penalty
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — of a king
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — a leader
  14. deal — an agreement
  15. court — for sport
  16. rule — a law
  17. fine — high quality
  18. deal — a big deal

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