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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: patient · foot · bass · lean · rule · kick · track · court

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  9. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ball is in your ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  18. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  19. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  23. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  24. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. bass — low music
  3. court — of law
  4. kick — a thrill
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. kick — in football
  7. rule — a law
  8. track — to keep track
  9. track — a song
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — for sport
  13. foot — a measure
  14. lean — to bend
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. lean — to rest against
  18. track — a path
  19. lean — thin
  20. bass — the fish
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. rule — to rule out
  23. bass — the instrument
  24. rule — government

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