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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: pop · patient · stem · racket · net · club · court · rash

  1. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  7. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  8. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. You don't need to ________________ round.
  13. Don't do anything ________________.
  14. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  17. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  18. The ball is in your ________________.
  19. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  20. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  21. We're almost out of ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  24. What was your ________________ profit last year?

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

Answer key

  1. pop — music
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. net — for catching
  6. court — of law
  7. club — a group
  8. court — of a king
  9. club — for dancing
  10. club — for golf
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. pop — to visit
  13. rash — hasty
  14. rash — a series
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. rash — on the skin
  17. stem — a stem cell
  18. court — for sport
  19. net — in sport
  20. stem — to come from
  21. pop — soda
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. stem — of a plant
  24. net — after costs

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