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

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  8. Have you settled on a ________________?
  9. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  10. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  11. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  16. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  17. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  18. When are we going to ________________?
  19. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  24. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. drill — the tool
  4. rest — what's left
  5. date — on the calendar
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ball — a round shape
  8. date — on the calendar
  9. drill — army training
  10. drill — a practice
  11. ball — a great time
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. date — the fruit
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. last — finally
  16. last — final
  17. rest — what's left
  18. land — to come down
  19. land — ground
  20. last — to go on
  21. ball — a dance
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. rest — a break
  24. land — a country

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