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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: chip · squash · season · court · fall · key · wake · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  3. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  4. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  7. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  8. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  9. The ball is in your ________________.
  10. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  11. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  16. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  17. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  18. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  19. Did you ________________ the meat?
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. key — the most important part
  3. fall — to drop
  4. season — of the year
  5. fall — to drop
  6. chip — to eat
  7. fall — the season
  8. chip — in a computer
  9. court — for sport
  10. key — for a lock
  11. court — of law
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. squash — the sport
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. wake — a trail
  16. squash — the vegetable
  17. wake — to stop sleeping
  18. court — of a king
  19. season — to add flavour
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. squash — to crush
  22. key — in music
  23. chip — for betting
  24. season — in sport

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