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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: court · mark · lie · chip · patient · lean · root · swing

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  7. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  8. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  14. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  15. David sat on the ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  18. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  19. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  20. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  21. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  22. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. lean — thin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. court — of a king
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. lean — to rest against
  7. lean — to bend
  8. swing — in golf
  9. chip — to eat
  10. swing — music
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. court — of law
  13. lie — to recline
  14. chip — in a computer
  15. swing — to play on
  16. root — of a word
  17. lie — an untruth
  18. chip — for betting
  19. lie — an untruth
  20. root — of a plant
  21. root — the cause
  22. mark — to pay attention
  23. mark — a trace
  24. court — for sport

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