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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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  4. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  7. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  10. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  11. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. It's one o'clock ________________.
  16. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  17. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  18. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  21. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  22. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  23. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. staff — employees
  4. mark — a grade
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. staff — a stick
  7. sharp — clever
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. chip — to eat
  10. chip — for betting
  11. mark — to pay attention
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. sharp — exactly
  16. pitch — completely
  17. chip — in a computer
  18. staff — employees
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. sharp — with an edge
  21. mark — a trace
  22. calf — of the leg
  23. calf — a young animal
  24. pitch — a sports field

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