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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · court · board · bass · mark · dip · kid · lean

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  3. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  4. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  11. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  16. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  24. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — a trace
  3. bass — low music
  4. mark — to pay attention
  5. court — of a king
  6. lean — to bend
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. bass — the instrument
  9. dip — to sink
  10. dip — a sauce
  11. lean — to rest against
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. board — a committee
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. dip — to dunk
  16. kid — child
  17. kid — to tease
  18. court — of law
  19. board — to get on
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. court — for sport
  22. bass — the fish
  23. lean — thin
  24. kid — young goat (kid gloves)

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