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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.

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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: sharp · chip · court · patient · fork · lie · pit · rash

  1. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  5. The ball is in your ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  14. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  19. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. rash — on the skin
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. pit — in a race
  4. fork — to eat with
  5. court — for sport
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. chip — to eat
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. lie — an untruth
  10. rash — hasty
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. lie — an untruth
  14. sharp — with an edge
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pit — a hole
  17. chip — for betting
  18. rash — a series
  19. fork — in a road
  20. court — of law
  21. lie — to recline
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. court — of a king
  24. sharp — clever

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