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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: bank · cue · court · deal · prune · patient · mine · bat

  1. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  4. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  7. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  13. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  17. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  18. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  21. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  22. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. I'll take my ________________ from you.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — an explosive
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. prune — to trim
  4. mine — for digging
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. deal — an agreement
  7. court — of a king
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — for sport
  10. mine — belonging to me
  11. deal — to handle
  12. bank — for money
  13. prune — to trim
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cue — a signal
  16. bat — for baseball
  17. deal — a big deal
  18. bank — of a river
  19. cue — for pool
  20. bank — for money
  21. bat — in an idiom
  22. court — of law
  23. bat — the animal
  24. cue — a hint

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