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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: patient · jam · bear · court · drill · pass · rest · racket

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  9. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  10. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  11. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  20. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. drill — a practice
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. drill — army training
  6. court — of a king
  7. bear — the animal
  8. court — of law
  9. rest — what's left
  10. pass — a permit
  11. jam — a tight spot
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. jam — in traffic
  16. rest — what's left
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. rest — a break
  20. pass — to succeed
  21. bear — the animal
  22. drill — the tool
  23. bear — to put up with
  24. patient — a sick person

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