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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: bound · lie · racket · cap · patient · plane · bass · court

  1. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  2. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  8. The ________________ took off on time.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  20. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  21. That was ________________ to happen.
  22. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cap — of ice
  2. lie — an untruth
  3. court — of law
  4. lie — to recline
  5. court — of a king
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. lie — an untruth
  8. plane — an aircraft
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. plane — a tool
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bass — low music
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cap — a hat
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bound — obliged
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. cap — a lid
  20. bound — tied together
  21. bound — certain
  22. bass — the fish
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. court — for sport

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