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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 120 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.

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 · cell · mark · court · suit · racket · leaves · stock

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. He was locked up in a ________________.
  8. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  17. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stock — a soup base
  3. court — of law
  4. cell — a phone
  5. mark — a grade
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. cell — in a prison
  8. stock — goods
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. leaves — of a tree
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. court — of a king
  15. mark — a trace
  16. mark — to pay attention
  17. suit — in cards
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. stock — shares
  20. suit — to fit
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. suit — clothes
  23. court — for sport
  24. cell — in biology

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