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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: court · roll · last · bay · wound · suit · patient · chair

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  3. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  4. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  8. My mare is ________________ in color.
  9. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  10. We're on a ________________ here.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  15. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.

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

Answer key

  1. chair — a professorship
  2. roll — a list
  3. last — final
  4. wound — an injury
  5. last — to go on
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bay — a part of the sea
  8. bay — a horse colour
  9. last — finally
  10. roll — on a roll
  11. suit — in cards
  12. court — of a king
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. wound — past of 'wind'
  15. suit — clothes
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. wound — an injury
  18. roll — a cake
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. court — of law
  21. court — for sport
  22. bay — to keep at bay
  23. suit — to fit
  24. chair — a leader

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