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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: saw · club · bay · fall · patient · present · object · court

  1. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  2. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. My mare is ________________ in color.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  8. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  13. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  14. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  15. He works in a ________________ mill.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  19. She's very handy with a ________________.
  20. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  23. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  24. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?

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

Answer key

  1. object — to protest
  2. fall — the season
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. bay — a horse colour
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. object — a thing
  7. fall — to drop
  8. club — a group
  9. club — for golf
  10. saw — past of 'see'
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. fall — to drop
  13. court — of a king
  14. bay — a part of the sea
  15. saw — the tool
  16. court — of law
  17. court — for sport
  18. present — the time now
  19. saw — the tool
  20. object — an aim
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. present — there
  23. club — for dancing
  24. present — a gift

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