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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: pass · prune · patient · court · spring · sharp · leaves · coach

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  7. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  17. It's one o'clock ________________.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  23. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. spring — the season
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. pass — to succeed
  5. prune — to trim
  6. prune — the fruit
  7. prune — to trim
  8. court — of law
  9. court — of a king
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. spring — a coil
  13. sharp — clever
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. pass — to spend time
  17. sharp — exactly
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. pass — a permit
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. sharp — with an edge
  23. spring — of water
  24. court — for sport

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