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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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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: bass · foot · face · patient · deal · bat · bay · court

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  3. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  4. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. My mare is ________________ in color.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  24. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. deal — to handle
  3. face — part of the head
  4. bass — low music
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. bay — a horse colour
  8. court — of a king
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. bass — the instrument
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. face — to point toward
  13. foot — a measure
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. face — to confront
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. foot — the bottom
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. court — for sport
  20. bass — the fish
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bay — a part of the sea
  24. court — of law

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