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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.

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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: cue · mug · court · patient · object · stem · last · dip

  1. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  11. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  14. False peace will not ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  17. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  18. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. object — an aim
  2. court — of law
  3. last — finally
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. object — a thing
  6. dip — to sink
  7. court — for sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — of a king
  10. cue — for pool
  11. mug — a cup
  12. object — to protest
  13. stem — a stem cell
  14. last — to go on
  15. mug — to rob
  16. cue — a signal
  17. stem — to come from
  18. dip — to dunk
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. mug — a face
  23. cue — a hint
  24. last — final

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