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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.

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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: patient · sharp · cabinet · chair · fine · court · kid · rush

  1. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  2. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The ball is in your ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. That must've been a ________________.
  7. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  8. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  9. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. What do you think of the new ________________?
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  16. It's one o'clock ________________.
  17. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  18. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  19. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. Take your time. There's no ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — all right
  2. kid — child
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. court — for sport
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rush — a thrill
  7. sharp — with an edge
  8. rush — to hurry
  9. sharp — clever
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. court — of law
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. court — of a king
  16. sharp — exactly
  17. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  18. fine — high quality
  19. cabinet — ministers
  20. kid — to tease
  21. chair — a leader
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. rush — hurry

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