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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: fall · hide · patient · court · fan · stock · club · racket

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  3. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  4. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  5. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  6. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  10. The ________________ market has crashed.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  22. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. He hit the ball with his ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. stock — goods
  3. fan — to cool the air
  4. fall — to drop
  5. hide — animal skin
  6. fan — a supporter
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. court — of a king
  9. hide — to keep secret
  10. stock — shares
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. fall — the season
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. club — for golf
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. club — for dancing
  18. court — of law
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fall — to drop
  22. stock — a soup base
  23. club — a group
  24. racket — for tennis

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