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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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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: racket · cell · court · patient · hide · mark · pit · lash

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  3. He was locked up in a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  8. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  20. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. lash — an eyelash
  3. cell — in a prison
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. hide — to keep secret
  6. court — of a king
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. pit — a hole
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. lash — to lash out
  13. court — of law
  14. pit — a fruit stone
  15. mark — a grade
  16. lash — a whip stroke
  17. cell — in biology
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. mark — a trace
  20. cell — a phone
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. court — for sport
  23. pit — in a race
  24. mark — to pay attention

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