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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'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. When will it ________________ you to start?
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. My father caught me by the ________________.
  6. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  7. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  10. That was ________________ to happen.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  13. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  14. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  17. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  18. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  21. That was a fun ________________.
  22. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  23. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. arm — part of the body
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. suit — to fit
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. arm — part of the body
  6. bound — obliged
  7. pit — in a race
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. bound — tied together
  10. bound — certain
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pit — a fruit stone
  13. arm — a part of something
  14. wake — before a funeral
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. game — wild animals
  17. pit — a hole
  18. wake — to stop sleeping
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. suit — clothes
  21. game — a match
  22. suit — in cards
  23. wake — a trail
  24. patient — a sick person

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