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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: court · racket · patient · wave · pit · tube · snap · swing

  1. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  2. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  3. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  9. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  10. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  11. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  12. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. I'll be taking the ________________.
  15. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  16. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. David sat on the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

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

Answer key

  1. snap — to click
  2. pit — a hole
  3. court — of law
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. snap — to speak sharply
  7. court — for sport
  8. pit — a fruit stone
  9. wave — of the sea
  10. swing — in golf
  11. court — of a king
  12. swing — music
  13. pit — in a race
  14. tube — the underground
  15. tube — a container
  16. wave — a sudden rise
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. swing — to play on
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. snap — to snap out of it
  24. wave — with your hand

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