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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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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: stick · court · patient · kid · ball · staff · straw · racket

  1. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  12. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  13. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The King held a masked ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a round shape
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. straw — to clutch at straws
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. court — of law
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. stick — a piece of wood
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. staff — employees
  12. stick — a piece of wood
  13. staff — a stick
  14. court — of a king
  15. straw — a straw man
  16. ball — a great time
  17. staff — employees
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. court — for sport
  20. kid — child
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. ball — a dance
  23. kid — to tease
  24. stick — to attach or keep to

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