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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 · club · ground · court · toast · land · plane · last

  1. False peace will not ________________.
  2. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. There's no middle ________________.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  10. The ball is in your ________________.
  11. When are we going to ________________?
  12. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  13. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  14. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. last — to go on
  2. club — a group
  3. land — ground
  4. plane — in geometry
  5. toast — bread
  6. ground — a position
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. court — of a king
  9. plane — a tool
  10. court — for sport
  11. land — to come down
  12. land — a country
  13. ground — crushed
  14. club — for golf
  15. court — of law
  16. last — final
  17. ground — the earth
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. last — finally
  20. toast — a drink to someone
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. club — for dancing
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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