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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.

Words on the sheet
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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: file · key · stand · court · row · patient · swing · season

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. David sat on the ________________.
  4. This piece is in a major ________________.
  5. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. I can't ________________ this cold.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  19. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. key — the most important part
  3. swing — to play on
  4. key — in music
  5. stand — for spectators
  6. court — of law
  7. file — a document
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. stand — to bear
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. court — for sport
  12. file — a tool
  13. season — in sport
  14. file — a line of people
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. swing — music
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. key — for a lock
  19. season — of the year
  20. row — a line
  21. swing — in golf
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. row — to paddle
  24. court — of a king

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