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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 116 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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  4. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  5. He was locked up in a ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  16. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  17. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — a phone
  2. cell — in biology
  3. track — a song
  4. bear — the animal
  5. cell — in a prison
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. bear — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. track — to keep track
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. present — a gift
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. present — the time now
  16. track — a path
  17. present — there
  18. patient — a sick person

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