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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.

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: court · patient · tear · present · leaves · roll · land · key

  1. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  4. When are we going to ________________?
  5. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  6. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. This piece is in a major ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We're on a ________________ here.
  15. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  16. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  22. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  23. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. land — a country
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. tear — from crying
  4. land — to come down
  5. present — a gift
  6. roll — a list
  7. court — of a king
  8. present — the time now
  9. key — the most important part
  10. tear — from crying
  11. court — for sport
  12. key — in music
  13. court — of law
  14. roll — on a roll
  15. leaves — to go away
  16. leaves — of a tree
  17. present — there
  18. roll — a cake
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. tear — to rip
  22. land — ground
  23. key — for a lock
  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