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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
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: court · fan · pound · patient · ball · kick · racket · saw

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. He works in a ________________ mill.
  4. The King held a masked ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  7. She's very handy with a ________________.
  8. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  23. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. court — of a king
  3. saw — the tool
  4. ball — a dance
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. fan — to cool the air
  7. saw — the tool
  8. fan — a supporter
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. ball — a great time
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. court — of law
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. fan — a supporter
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. pound — to hit hard
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. kick — in football
  23. pound — a weight
  24. court — for sport

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