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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 · rock · tear · rule · stick · court

  1. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  7. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  8. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  9. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  17. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  18. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. rule — government
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. court — of a king
  6. stick — a piece of wood
  7. stick — to attach or keep to
  8. stick — a piece of wood
  9. tear — from crying
  10. rock — music
  11. tear — from crying
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rock — a stone
  16. rule — a law
  17. tear — to rip
  18. rock — to move gently

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