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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: coach · court · face · patient · suit · stock · stick · bat

  1. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  2. The ball is in your ________________.
  3. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  4. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  5. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  6. When will it ________________ you to start?
  7. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  13. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  16. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  17. The supermarket has a large ________________ of merchandise.
  18. Have you met the new head ________________?
  19. The ________________ market has crashed.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  24. What's the difference between broth and ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. court — of a king
  2. court — for sport
  3. face — to point toward
  4. face — part of the head
  5. coach — a trainer
  6. suit — to fit
  7. face — to confront
  8. suit — clothes
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stick — a piece of wood
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. stick — to attach or keep to
  13. court — of law
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. suit — in cards
  16. coach — pulled by horses
  17. stock — goods
  18. coach — a trainer
  19. stock — shares
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. stick — a piece of wood
  22. bat — the animal
  23. bat — in an idiom
  24. stock — a soup base

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