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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  5. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. The ________________ went through the wall.
  8. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  16. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  19. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  20. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. perch — the fish
  5. prune — the fruit
  6. fall — the season
  7. nail — for a hammer
  8. pass — a permit
  9. game — a match
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. fall — to drop
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. pass — to spend time
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. nail — on a finger
  16. prune — to trim
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. perch — for a bird
  19. fall — to drop
  20. game — wild animals
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. prune — to trim
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. nail — for a hammer

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