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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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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: prune · pound · court · bat · stand · stick · racket · patient

  1. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  13. I can't ________________ this cold.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  18. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  19. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  20. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — for spectators
  2. court — for sport
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. pound — a weight
  5. court — of law
  6. stand — on your feet
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. stick — to attach or keep to
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pound — to hit hard
  13. stand — to bear
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. bat — the animal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. bat — in an idiom
  18. prune — to trim
  19. prune — the fruit
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. prune — to trim
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. court — of a king

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