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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: fan · jam · pitcher · bore · spell · mouse · patient · court

  1. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  2. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  3. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  4. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  8. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  9. He is an ace ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  14. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  20. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  21. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  22. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  23. How do you ________________ your surname?
  24. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. jam — a tight spot
  3. court — of a king
  4. spell — magic
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. pitcher — a jug
  8. fan — to cool the air
  9. pitcher — in baseball
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. mouse — for a computer
  12. court — of law
  13. bore — to drill
  14. mouse — the animal
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. bore — to tire
  18. court — for sport
  19. spell — a short time
  20. bore — gave birth
  21. jam — in traffic
  22. pitcher — a jug
  23. spell — letters
  24. fan — a supporter

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