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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: hand · scale · season · current · hide · court · patient · leaves

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  4. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  5. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  6. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  7. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  8. Did you ________________ the meat?
  9. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  10. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  13. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  14. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  19. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  20. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  21. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  24. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. court — of law
  3. leaves — to go away
  4. scale — size or range
  5. scale — in music
  6. hide — to keep secret
  7. season — of the year
  8. season — to add flavour
  9. hand — part of the body
  10. hand — in cards
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. leaves — of a tree
  13. hide — animal skin
  14. court — of a king
  15. court — for sport
  16. hand — help
  17. current — of water
  18. season — in sport
  19. hide — to keep secret
  20. current — happening now
  21. scale — for weighing
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. leaves — lets stay
  24. current — electric

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