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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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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: present · race · patient · court · season · rest

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  3. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  4. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  9. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  12. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. race — a contest
  3. rest — what's left
  4. season — in sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. court — for sport
  7. court — of law
  8. present — a gift
  9. race — the arms race
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. rest — what's left
  12. present — the time now
  13. rest — a break
  14. court — of a king
  15. race — humankind
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. season — of the year

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