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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: court · bulb · net · cell · stand · ball · pit · patient

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. He was locked up in a ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  5. The King held a masked ________________.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  10. I've got to change the light ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The light ________________ burned out.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. I can't ________________ this cold.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. The ball is in your ________________.
  21. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  22. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  23. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  24. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. cell — in a prison
  3. pit — in a race
  4. cell — in biology
  5. ball — a dance
  6. ball — a great time
  7. stand — on your feet
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — of a king
  10. bulb — for light
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stand — for spectators
  13. court — of law
  14. bulb — for light
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. net — in sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. stand — to bear
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. court — for sport
  21. cell — a phone
  22. net — after costs
  23. net — for catching
  24. bulb — of a plant

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