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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.

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: march · cabinet · season · court · patient · hide · ground · fan

  1. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  2. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  3. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. What do you think of the new ________________?
  9. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Did you ________________ the meat?
  14. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  15. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  16. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  17. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  18. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  19. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  20. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  23. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. hide — to keep secret
  2. fan — a supporter
  3. season — of the year
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. fan — to cool the air
  6. court — of law
  7. court — for sport
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. march — music
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. season — to add flavour
  14. hide — animal skin
  15. march — the month
  16. season — in sport
  17. court — of a king
  18. hide — to keep secret
  19. march — the month
  20. ground — crushed
  21. ground — a position
  22. ground — the earth
  23. cabinet — ministers
  24. fan — a supporter

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