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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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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: key · stock · patient · row · coach · court · wake · deal

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  9. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  10. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  15. What's the difference between broth and ________________?
  16. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  17. This piece is in a major ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The ________________ market has crashed.
  22. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  23. Have you met the new head ________________?
  24. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. court — of a king
  3. stock — goods
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. key — for a lock
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. wake — a trail
  9. row — a quarrel
  10. deal — an agreement
  11. court — for sport
  12. wake — to stop sleeping
  13. court — of law
  14. deal — to handle
  15. stock — a soup base
  16. wake — before a funeral
  17. key — in music
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. key — the most important part
  20. row — to paddle
  21. stock — shares
  22. coach — pulled by horses
  23. coach — a trainer
  24. row — a line

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