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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  5. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  6. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  7. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  8. She's very handy with a ________________.
  9. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  10. He works in a ________________ mill.
  11. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  12. I can't ________________ this cold.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. stand — on your feet
  5. net — after costs
  6. band — a rubber band
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. saw — the tool
  9. band — a ring
  10. saw — the tool
  11. net — in sport
  12. stand — to bear
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. band — a music group
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pound — for dogs
  17. pound — a weight
  18. net — for catching
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. saw — past of 'see'
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mouse — for a computer
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. pound — to hit hard

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