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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: jam · pound · date · leaves · straw · row · patient · court

  1. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  2. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  8. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  13. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  19. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  20. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  21. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  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. jam — in traffic
  2. pound — to hit hard
  3. row — to paddle
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. leaves — lets stay
  8. date — the fruit
  9. court — of law
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. straw — a straw man
  13. leaves — to go away
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. row — a line
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. pound — a weight
  19. row — a quarrel
  20. straw — to clutch at straws
  21. jam — a tight spot
  22. court — for sport
  23. court — of a king
  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