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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: ball · safe · court · fine · season · current · cue · patient

  1. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  5. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  13. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  14. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  21. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  22. Did you ________________ the meat?
  23. The King held a masked ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a signal
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. season — in sport
  4. safe — a strongbox
  5. season — of the year
  6. ball — a great time
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. safe — out of danger
  9. cue — a hint
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — for sport
  12. fine — high quality
  13. current — happening now
  14. fine — a penalty
  15. court — of a king
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. cue — for pool
  18. current — electric
  19. fine — all right
  20. current — of water
  21. safe — out of danger
  22. season — to add flavour
  23. ball — a dance
  24. court — of law

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