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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: bass · toast · track · wave · plane · court · patient · bore

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  6. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  11. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  22. The ________________ took off on time.
  23. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. court — of law
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. plane — in geometry
  6. bass — low music
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a song
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. wave — of the sea
  11. bore — gave birth
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. plane — a tool
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. court — of a king
  18. track — a path
  19. wave — a sudden rise
  20. bore — to tire
  21. bass — the fish
  22. plane — an aircraft
  23. bore — to drill
  24. wave — with your hand

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