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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: leaves · foot · march · rush · court · patient · jam · saw

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. He works in a ________________ mill.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  11. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  18. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  19. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  20. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  21. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  22. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The ________________ change colour in autumn.

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. foot — a measure
  5. saw — the tool
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. march — the month
  9. march — the month
  10. leaves — to go away
  11. saw — past of 'see'
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. jam — to spread on bread
  15. court — of law
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. rush — to hurry
  18. leaves — lets stay
  19. foot — part of the body
  20. rush — hurry
  21. march — music
  22. jam — a tight spot
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. leaves — of a tree

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