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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: court · patient · ball · pop · bore · sharp · lash · bowl

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  3. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  6. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  13. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  14. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  15. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  16. We're almost out of ________________.
  17. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  18. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  19. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  20. It's one o'clock ________________.
  21. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. You don't need to ________________ round.
  24. He's quite ________________, isn't he?

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. pop — music
  3. lash — a whip stroke
  4. court — for sport
  5. court — of a king
  6. sharp — with an edge
  7. ball — a dance
  8. ball — a round shape
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. bowl — a football final
  13. ball — a great time
  14. bore — to drill
  15. bowl — a dish
  16. pop — soda
  17. lash — to lash out
  18. lash — an eyelash
  19. court — of law
  20. sharp — exactly
  21. bore — to tire
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. pop — to visit
  24. sharp — clever

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