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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. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  17. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  22. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. Fill up this ________________ with water.

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

Answer key

  1. scale — size or range
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. rush — hurry
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. scale — for weighing
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rush — to hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. scale — in music
  10. rock — music
  11. fine — high quality
  12. squash — the sport
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. fine — all right
  16. rock — a stone
  17. rock — to move gently
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. pitcher — a jug
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. squash — the vegetable
  22. fine — a penalty
  23. squash — to crush
  24. pitcher — a jug

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