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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: toast · kid · patient · press · fork · court · rest · rock

  1. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  8. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. Did you ________________ the button?
  11. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  12. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. The function of the ________________ is to provide the common people with facts.
  15. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  19. Manchester University ________________ is the university's academic publishing house.
  20. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  21. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  22. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. rest — what's left
  2. court — of a king
  3. kid — to tease
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fork — a garden tool
  6. court — of law
  7. kid — child
  8. toast — the most admired
  9. rest — what's left
  10. press — to push
  11. fork — in a road
  12. fork — to eat with
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. press — newspapers
  15. rock — a stone
  16. toast — bread
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. rock — music
  19. press — a publisher
  20. rest — a break
  21. toast — a drink to someone
  22. rock — to move gently
  23. court — for sport
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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