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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
468
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: can · current · rash · ground · court · patient · racket · tear

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. Don't do anything ________________.
  9. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  13. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  14. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  15. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  16. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I seem to be developing a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. can — to be able to
  6. current — electric
  7. court — of a king
  8. rash — hasty
  9. can — a tin
  10. tear — to rip
  11. court — for sport
  12. rash — a series
  13. tear — from crying
  14. current — happening now
  15. current — of water
  16. ground — crushed
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. ground — the earth
  19. court — of law
  20. tear — from crying
  21. can — a tin
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. rash — on the skin

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