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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: patient · jam · arm · cabinet · rest · court · bank · kid

  1. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  2. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  5. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. What do you think of the new ________________?
  8. My father caught me by the ________________.
  9. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  10. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  16. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  17. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  21. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  24. The ball is in your ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bank — for money
  2. jam — to spread on bread
  3. rest — what's left
  4. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  5. kid — child
  6. rest — a break
  7. cabinet — ministers
  8. arm — part of the body
  9. cabinet — a cupboard
  10. jam — a tight spot
  11. bank — of a river
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. cabinet — ministers
  14. rest — what's left
  15. bank — for money
  16. arm — part of the body
  17. arm — a part of something
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. kid — to tease
  21. court — of a king
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. court — of law
  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