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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.

Make a worksheet

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: object · bass · patient · wound · rush · season · court · spell

  1. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  2. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  3. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  4. Did you ________________ the meat?
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. The ball is in your ________________.
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. How do you ________________ your surname?
  17. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  18. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  19. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. You shouldn't ________________ things.

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. bass — the instrument
  3. season — in sport
  4. season — to add flavour
  5. object — an aim
  6. court — for sport
  7. season — of the year
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. court — of law
  15. spell — magic
  16. spell — letters
  17. spell — a short time
  18. wound — an injury
  19. object — a thing
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. object — to protest
  22. rush — hurry
  23. court — of a king
  24. rush — to hurry

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

Make a worksheet (0 words)

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