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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: jam · patient · staff · sharp · court · pass · bay · rush

  1. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  2. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  3. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  4. That must've been a ________________.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. It's one o'clock ________________.
  10. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  11. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  17. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  20. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ball is in your ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.

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

Answer key

  1. pass — to succeed
  2. sharp — with an edge
  3. bay — to keep at bay
  4. rush — a thrill
  5. staff — employees
  6. staff — a stick
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. court — of a king
  9. sharp — exactly
  10. jam — to spread on bread
  11. pass — a permit
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. court — of law
  14. jam — a tight spot
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. bay — a part of the sea
  17. rush — hurry
  18. staff — employees
  19. jam — in traffic
  20. sharp — clever
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. court — for sport
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. pass — to spend time

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