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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 · land · suit · bowl · snap · patient · bat · staff

  1. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  2. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  11. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  12. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  15. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  16. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  17. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  18. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. When will it ________________ you to start?
  23. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — the animal
  2. bowl — a dish
  3. land — ground
  4. court — for sport
  5. snap — to click
  6. suit — clothes
  7. staff — employees
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. court — of a king
  11. land — a country
  12. staff — a stick
  13. land — to come down
  14. bowl — to roll
  15. bat — for baseball
  16. snap — to snap out of it
  17. staff — employees
  18. snap — to speak sharply
  19. court — of law
  20. bat — in an idiom
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. suit — to fit
  23. suit — in cards
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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