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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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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: chair · rush · rest · stick · court · branch · patient · jam

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  5. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  6. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  7. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  13. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  18. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. That must've been a ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  23. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. court — for sport
  3. rest — what's left
  4. jam — to spread on bread
  5. chair — a leader
  6. branch — of a tree
  7. jam — in traffic
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. court — of law
  12. branch — of a bank
  13. rest — a break
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. chair — a professorship
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. jam — a tight spot
  18. branch — a division
  19. rush — hurry
  20. rush — a thrill
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. stick — to attach or keep to
  23. rest — what's left
  24. court — of a king

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