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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: court · cabinet · patient · suit · mate · scale · coach · branch

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Have you found your soul ________________?
  5. What do you think of the new ________________?
  6. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  7. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  8. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Have you met the new head ________________?
  11. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  14. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  15. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  16. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  17. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  18. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  19. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The ball is in your ________________.
  22. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  23. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  24. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. mate — a partner
  5. cabinet — ministers
  6. suit — clothes
  7. scale — for weighing
  8. branch — a division
  9. court — of law
  10. coach — a trainer
  11. coach — pulled by horses
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. scale — size or range
  14. branch — of a tree
  15. branch — of a bank
  16. coach — a trainer
  17. mate — to breed
  18. scale — in music
  19. suit — in cards
  20. court — of a king
  21. court — for sport
  22. cabinet — a cupboard
  23. mate — a friend
  24. cabinet — ministers

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