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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. You don't need to ________________ round.
  5. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  6. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. We're almost out of ________________.
  10. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  11. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  12. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  22. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. How do you ________________ your surname?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. deal — to handle
  4. pop — to visit
  5. object — an aim
  6. object — a thing
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. pop — soda
  10. spell — a short time
  11. deal — a big deal
  12. band — a rubber band
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. spell — magic
  16. last — finally
  17. deal — an agreement
  18. last — final
  19. band — a music group
  20. object — to protest
  21. band — a ring
  22. pop — music
  23. last — to go on
  24. spell — letters

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