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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: patient · key · current · squash · row · court · trunk · chair

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  3. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  6. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  12. I've got the luggage in my ________________.
  13. This piece is in a major ________________.
  14. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  17. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  18. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  22. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. row — to paddle
  3. current — electric
  4. row — a line
  5. key — the most important part
  6. court — of a king
  7. squash — to crush
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. court — for sport
  10. current — of water
  11. chair — to sit on
  12. trunk — of a car
  13. key — in music
  14. squash — the vegetable
  15. court — of law
  16. squash — the sport
  17. trunk — of an elephant
  18. current — happening now
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. key — for a lock
  21. trunk — of a tree
  22. chair — a leader
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. chair — a professorship

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