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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: ground · rush · patient · last · dip · racket · field · court

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. False peace will not ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  10. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  11. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  17. There's no middle ________________.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  24. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. last — to go on
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. last — final
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. ground — the earth
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. field — farmland
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. court — of law
  14. field — for sport
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. rush — hurry
  17. ground — a position
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. last — finally
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. ground — crushed
  23. field — a subject
  24. dip — to sink

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