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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. Have you found your soul ________________?
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  17. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  20. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  21. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  22. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  23. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  24. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. game — a match
  3. mark — a grade
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. net — in sport
  6. net — after costs
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mate — a partner
  9. net — for catching
  10. mate — to breed
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. fan — to cool the air
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. fan — a supporter
  15. mark — a trace
  16. game — a kind of play
  17. racket — a loud noise
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. firm — decided
  20. firm — steady
  21. mark — to pay attention
  22. firm — a company
  23. fan — a supporter
  24. game — wild animals

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