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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: spell · mug · date · nail · pitcher · court · patient · hide

  1. The ________________ went through the wall.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  4. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  7. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  10. He is an ace ________________.
  11. Where did you ________________ them?
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. How do you ________________ your surname?
  14. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  15. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  18. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  19. Have you settled on a ________________?
  20. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  23. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  24. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.

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

Answer key

  1. nail — for a hammer
  2. court — for sport
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. mug — a face
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. spell — a short time
  7. hide — to keep secret
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. spell — magic
  10. pitcher — in baseball
  11. mug — to rob
  12. court — of a king
  13. spell — letters
  14. court — of law
  15. nail — for a hammer
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. hide — animal skin
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. mug — a cup
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. hide — to keep secret
  23. date — the fruit
  24. nail — on a finger

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