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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: coach · wake · patient · squash · firm · rush · saw · court

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. That must've been a ________________.
  6. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  11. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  12. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  13. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  14. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  15. She's very handy with a ________________.
  16. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. squash — the sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. court — of law
  5. rush — a thrill
  6. wake — before a funeral
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. coach — pulled by horses
  11. wake — a trail
  12. rush — to hurry
  13. wake — to stop sleeping
  14. firm — steady
  15. saw — the tool
  16. saw — past of 'see'
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. saw — the tool
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. firm — a company
  22. court — of a king
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. firm — decided

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