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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: leaves · patient · court · racket · squash · tube · shower · bear

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  6. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  21. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  22. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  23. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. court — of a king
  3. squash — to crush
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. shower — a meteor shower
  6. leaves — to go away
  7. court — of law
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. tube — a container
  12. tube — the underground
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. shower — to wash
  15. court — for sport
  16. bear — to put up with
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. shower — rain
  21. bear — the animal
  22. squash — the sport
  23. tube — in a tire
  24. racket — for tennis

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