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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. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  5. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  6. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  7. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  8. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  15. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  16. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  17. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  18. The ________________ went through the wall.
  19. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  22. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  23. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  24. That was a fun ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. wake — to stop sleeping
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bear — the animal
  5. game — wild animals
  6. bear — to put up with
  7. pitch — completely
  8. game — a kind of play
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. wake — a trail
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. bear — the animal
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. firm — a company
  15. firm — steady
  16. nail — for a hammer
  17. firm — decided
  18. nail — for a hammer
  19. pitch — a sales talk
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. pitch — a sports field
  22. nail — on a finger
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. game — a match

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