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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 · staff · lean · cue · court · hand · jam · scale

  1. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  11. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  12. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  17. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  20. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  21. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  22. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  23. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  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. jam — a tight spot
  2. lean — to bend
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. staff — a stick
  5. court — for sport
  6. cue — for pool
  7. hand — part of the body
  8. court — of a king
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. jam — in traffic
  11. cue — a signal
  12. staff — employees
  13. court — of law
  14. scale — in music
  15. cue — a hint
  16. hand — in cards
  17. jam — to spread on bread
  18. staff — employees
  19. scale — for weighing
  20. hand — help
  21. lean — thin
  22. lean — to rest against
  23. scale — size or range
  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