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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: rock · net · fine · patient · swing · pass · stick · court

  1. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  6. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  7. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  8. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  19. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  22. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  23. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  24. I don't want to ________________ the boat.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — music
  2. court — for sport
  3. net — in sport
  4. net — for catching
  5. pass — to succeed
  6. fine — all right
  7. swing — in golf
  8. fine — a penalty
  9. swing — to play on
  10. fine — high quality
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — of law
  13. pass — a permit
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. net — after costs
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. rock — a stone
  19. stick — to attach or keep to
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. pass — to spend time
  22. court — of a king
  23. rock — music
  24. rock — to move gently

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