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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: court · pass · patient · mate · snap · plane

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The ________________ took off on time.
  7. Have you found your soul ________________?
  8. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  9. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  17. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  18. You can't go backstage without a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. pass — to succeed
  3. court — of law
  4. mate — a friend
  5. snap — to click
  6. plane — an aircraft
  7. mate — a partner
  8. mate — to breed
  9. plane — in geometry
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — for sport
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. plane — a tool
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. snap — to speak sharply
  17. snap — to snap out of it
  18. pass — a permit

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