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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.

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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: lie · cue · court · deal · patient · mouse · rush · bass

  1. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  14. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. That must've been a ________________.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. bass — low music
  2. cue — a signal
  3. cue — a hint
  4. court — of law
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. cue — for pool
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. mouse — the animal
  10. court — of a king
  11. lie — to recline
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. rush — hurry
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. deal — to handle
  19. court — for sport
  20. bass — the fish
  21. lie — an untruth
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. rush — a thrill
  24. mouse — for a computer

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