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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.

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 · bay · dip · bore · net · saw · rest · patient

  1. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  2. He works in a ________________ mill.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  8. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  19. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  22. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.

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

Answer key

  1. net — after costs
  2. saw — the tool
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. net — in sport
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. net — for catching
  7. saw — past of 'see'
  8. dip — to sink
  9. court — for sport
  10. bay — a part of the sea
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. rest — a break
  13. bore — to tire
  14. court — of a king
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. saw — the tool
  17. court — of law
  18. dip — a sauce
  19. bay — to keep at bay
  20. rest — what's left
  21. rest — what's left
  22. bore — to drill
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. bore — gave birth

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