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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 120 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 thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  5. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  6. That was ________________ to happen.
  7. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. Don't do anything ________________.
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  16. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  22. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  23. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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. mouse — the animal
  4. mate — to breed
  5. rash — on the skin
  6. bound — certain
  7. bound — tied together
  8. mate — a partner
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. rash — hasty
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. row — a line
  14. craft — a skill
  15. craft — a handicraft
  16. bound — obliged
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. row — to paddle
  21. rash — a series
  22. row — a quarrel
  23. craft — boats
  24. mate — a friend

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