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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.

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: stick · court · mug · club · patient · pass · can · stem

  1. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  13. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  14. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  15. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  16. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  19. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. can — to be able to
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. mug — a face
  5. club — for dancing
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. court — for sport
  8. can — a tin
  9. pass — a permit
  10. court — of law
  11. mug — to rob
  12. pass — to spend time
  13. stick — a piece of wood
  14. stem — to come from
  15. pass — to succeed
  16. mug — a cup
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. can — a tin
  19. stem — of a plant
  20. club — a group
  21. club — for golf
  22. stem — a stem cell
  23. court — of a king
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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