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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: kick · rest · court · patient · bowl · mark · racket · cap

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  10. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  11. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  12. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  15. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  16. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. court — of a king
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. court — of law
  5. cap — a lid
  6. rest — a break
  7. court — for sport
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. bowl — a football final
  10. mark — to pay attention
  11. bowl — to roll
  12. rest — what's left
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. cap — of ice
  15. mark — a grade
  16. rest — what's left
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. cap — a hat
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. kick — with a leg
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. kick — in football
  24. mark — a trace

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