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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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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: rash · suit · last · court · clip · pass · foot · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  3. The ball is in your ________________.
  4. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  7. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  8. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. False peace will not ________________.
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rash — a series
  3. court — for sport
  4. court — of law
  5. clip — a video
  6. pass — to succeed
  7. suit — in cards
  8. clip — for paper
  9. suit — clothes
  10. rash — hasty
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. last — final
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. last — finally
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. last — to go on
  20. suit — to fit
  21. court — of a king
  22. pass — a permit
  23. clip — to cut
  24. foot — a measure

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