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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 120 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: bore · ball · deal · bulb · rush · saw · patient · court

  1. That must've been a ________________.
  2. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  3. She's very handy with a ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  10. The light ________________ burned out.
  11. I've got to change the light ________________.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  14. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  19. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  20. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. rush — a thrill
  2. ball — a round shape
  3. saw — the tool
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. saw — the tool
  9. saw — past of 'see'
  10. bulb — for light
  11. bulb — for light
  12. bore — to drill
  13. rush — to hurry
  14. bore — gave birth
  15. deal — to handle
  16. court — of law
  17. court — of a king
  18. bulb — of a plant
  19. rush — hurry
  20. bore — to tire
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. court — for sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. deal — an agreement

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