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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 had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  6. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  7. Have you met the new head ________________?
  8. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  9. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  10. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  11. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  12. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  13. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  14. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  21. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — child
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. pitcher — a jug
  7. coach — a trainer
  8. coach — pulled by horses
  9. pitch — a sales talk
  10. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  11. pitch — a sports field
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. ruler — for measuring
  14. kid — to tease
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. ruler — a monarch
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. mouse — the animal
  21. coach — a trainer
  22. pitch — completely
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. ruler — for measuring

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