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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 · prune · court · staff · mate · fine · kick · swing

  1. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  8. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  9. Have you found your soul ________________?
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  12. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  13. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  14. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  15. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  16. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  19. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  20. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. David sat on the ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. prune — to trim
  2. court — of a king
  3. fine — a penalty
  4. court — for sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kick — a thrill
  8. staff — employees
  9. mate — a partner
  10. staff — employees
  11. swing — in golf
  12. kick — with a leg
  13. prune — the fruit
  14. staff — a stick
  15. prune — to trim
  16. court — of law
  17. mate — to breed
  18. mate — a friend
  19. swing — music
  20. fine — high quality
  21. fine — all right
  22. swing — to play on
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. kick — in football

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