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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: patient · current · deal · rush · squash · court · hide · season

  1. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  2. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  3. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  9. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  10. That must've been a ________________.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. current — happening now
  2. rush — hurry
  3. hide — to keep secret
  4. court — for sport
  5. squash — the sport
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. season — of the year
  9. rush — to hurry
  10. rush — a thrill
  11. season — in sport
  12. hide — animal skin
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. squash — the vegetable
  16. squash — to crush
  17. hide — to keep secret
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. deal — to handle
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. current — of water
  22. court — of law
  23. court — of a king
  24. current — electric

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