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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: lash · court · racket · saw · stand · net · chair · patient

  1. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  5. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  6. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  7. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. He works in a ________________ mill.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  19. I can't ________________ this cold.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  23. She's very handy with a ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. lash — a whip stroke
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. chair — to sit on
  5. lash — to lash out
  6. lash — an eyelash
  7. chair — a leader
  8. net — for catching
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. net — in sport
  11. saw — the tool
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. net — after costs
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. court — of law
  18. stand — for spectators
  19. stand — to bear
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. court — for sport
  22. chair — a professorship
  23. saw — the tool
  24. court — of a king

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