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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: patient · cue · court · mark · swing · date · nail · deal

  1. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  2. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  5. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  6. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  7. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  10. David sat on the ________________.
  11. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The ________________ went through the wall.
  14. Have you settled on a ________________?
  15. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. The ball is in your ________________.
  18. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — in golf
  2. cue — a signal
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. deal — to handle
  5. date — the fruit
  6. swing — music
  7. court — of law
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. date — on the calendar
  10. swing — to play on
  11. nail — on a finger
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. nail — for a hammer
  14. date — on the calendar
  15. cue — a hint
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. court — for sport
  18. mark — a grade
  19. cue — for pool
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. court — of a king
  22. deal — an agreement
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mark — a trace

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