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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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468
Word bank
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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. Don't do anything ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  5. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  6. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  21. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  22. Where did you ________________ them?
  23. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rash — hasty
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. pit — in a race
  4. prune — to trim
  5. prune — to trim
  6. rash — a series
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. mug — a face
  13. ball — a dance
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. rash — on the skin
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mug — a cup
  18. ball — a great time
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. stick — a piece of wood
  21. pit — a fruit stone
  22. mug — to rob
  23. stick — to attach or keep to
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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