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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 120 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.

Words on the sheet
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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 · field · staff · safe · saw · stand · patient · cabinet

  1. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  5. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  6. What do you think of the new ________________?
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. I can't ________________ this cold.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  14. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  15. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  16. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  19. He works in a ________________ mill.
  20. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  21. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  22. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. Is it ________________ for us to be here?

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

Answer key

  1. cabinet — ministers
  2. court — of law
  3. court — for sport
  4. field — a subject
  5. safe — a strongbox
  6. cabinet — ministers
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. stand — to bear
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. stand — on your feet
  12. saw — the tool
  13. saw — past of 'see'
  14. staff — employees
  15. field — farmland
  16. field — for sport
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. safe — out of danger
  19. saw — the tool
  20. court — of a king
  21. staff — a stick
  22. staff — employees
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. safe — out of danger

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