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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 116 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
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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 · season · court · craft · bat · present · hide · board

  1. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  7. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  10. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  11. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  18. Did you ________________ the meat?
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  21. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  22. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  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. season — in sport
  2. court — of a king
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. bat — the animal
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. craft — boats
  7. board — a flat piece
  8. season — of the year
  9. board — to get on
  10. present — there
  11. bat — in an idiom
  12. court — of law
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. present — the time now
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. board — a committee
  18. season — to add flavour
  19. present — a gift
  20. craft — a handicraft
  21. craft — a skill
  22. hide — animal skin
  23. court — for sport
  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