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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: bowl · game · pit · court · wave · cabinet · patient · hand

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  5. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  8. The ball is in your ________________.
  9. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  10. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  16. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  17. That was a fun ________________.
  18. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. What do you think of the new ________________?
  24. Do you need a ________________ with that?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. cabinet — a cupboard
  3. hand — in cards
  4. pit — a fruit stone
  5. wave — with your hand
  6. court — of a king
  7. game — wild animals
  8. court — for sport
  9. wave — a sudden rise
  10. bowl — to roll
  11. court — of law
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. bowl — a football final
  16. hand — part of the body
  17. game — a match
  18. pit — a hole
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. pit — in a race
  21. bowl — a dish
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. hand — help

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