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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: court · face · content · patient · fan · plane · cue · swing

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  3. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  6. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  11. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  12. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  13. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  14. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  15. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  16. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  17. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  18. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  19. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  20. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  21. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  22. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  23. The ________________ took off on time.
  24. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. court — of a king
  3. plane — in geometry
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. cue — for pool
  6. face — to confront
  7. court — for sport
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. fan — a supporter
  11. face — part of the head
  12. content — videos and posts
  13. cue — a signal
  14. plane — a tool
  15. face — to point toward
  16. swing — music
  17. court — of law
  18. fan — a supporter
  19. cue — a hint
  20. fan — to cool the air
  21. content — the amount
  22. content — happy
  23. plane — an aircraft
  24. swing — in golf

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