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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: swing · bowl · face · last · pitcher · patient · stick · court

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. David sat on the ________________.
  5. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  8. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  9. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  14. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  20. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  21. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  22. False peace will not ________________.
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. court — for sport
  4. swing — to play on
  5. bowl — to roll
  6. court — of a king
  7. stick — a piece of wood
  8. pitcher — a jug
  9. face — part of the head
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. court — of law
  13. last — final
  14. stick — a piece of wood
  15. face — to point toward
  16. swing — music
  17. face — to confront
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. last — finally
  20. bowl — a dish
  21. swing — in golf
  22. last — to go on
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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