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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: cell · staff · patient · rush · court · nail · game · pass

  1. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  3. That must've been a ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  7. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  8. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  9. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. The ________________ went through the wall.
  12. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  13. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  18. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  19. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. court — of law
  3. rush — a thrill
  4. rush — hurry
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. game — wild animals
  7. staff — employees
  8. cell — a phone
  9. pass — a permit
  10. staff — employees
  11. nail — for a hammer
  12. nail — for a hammer
  13. nail — on a finger
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. court — for sport
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. pass — to spend time
  18. pass — to succeed
  19. staff — a stick
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. game — a match
  22. rush — to hurry
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. court — of a king

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