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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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 · lash · last · object · season · court · chip · bat

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  4. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  7. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  8. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. False peace will not ________________.
  12. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  13. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. chip — in a computer
  4. lash — a whip stroke
  5. court — for sport
  6. object — an aim
  7. lash — an eyelash
  8. last — finally
  9. court — of law
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. last — to go on
  12. chip — for betting
  13. bat — in an idiom
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. lash — to lash out
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. object — to protest
  18. chip — to eat
  19. season — of the year
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. season — in sport
  22. bat — the animal
  23. court — of a king
  24. last — final

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