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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: deal · rule · court · squash · patient · stick

  1. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  2. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  9. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The ball is in your ________________.
  15. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  16. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  17. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  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. court — of law
  2. deal — an agreement
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rule — to rule out
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. rule — government
  8. stick — to attach or keep to
  9. deal — to handle
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. rule — a law
  13. court — of a king
  14. court — for sport
  15. squash — the sport
  16. stick — a piece of wood
  17. squash — to crush
  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