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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: hide · patient · key · racket · court · jam · bowl · shower

  1. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  14. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  17. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  24. This piece is in a major ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a football final
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. shower — a meteor shower
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. hide — to keep secret
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. court — for sport
  11. shower — rain
  12. key — for a lock
  13. jam — in traffic
  14. bowl — a dish
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. hide — animal skin
  17. shower — to wash
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. key — the most important part
  20. court — of a king
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — of law
  23. hide — to keep secret
  24. key — in music

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