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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.

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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: stem · coach · patient · can · clip · current · court · pit

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  4. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  5. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  11. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  12. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  13. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  16. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  17. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  18. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. clip — to cut
  4. pit — in a race
  5. current — electric
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stem — a stem cell
  8. clip — for paper
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. stem — to come from
  11. can — to be able to
  12. coach — a trainer
  13. pit — a hole
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. can — a tin
  16. clip — a video
  17. current — happening now
  18. coach — pulled by horses
  19. court — of law
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. current — of water
  22. can — a tin
  23. court — for sport
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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