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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. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  4. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  5. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  6. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  7. The ball is in your ________________.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. That must've been a ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  12. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  17. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  18. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  21. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Have you settled on a ________________?
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — an untruth
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. date — the fruit
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. net — for catching
  6. rush — to hurry
  7. court — for sport
  8. rush — hurry
  9. rush — a thrill
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. net — after costs
  12. net — in sport
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. lie — to recline
  17. fine — high quality
  18. court — of law
  19. court — of a king
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. fine — all right
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. date — on the calendar
  24. fine — a penalty

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