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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 120 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 farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  16. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  17. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  18. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  21. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  22. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  23. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  24. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. chip — for betting
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. stand — to bear
  5. stand — on your feet
  6. spell — letters
  7. calf — of the leg
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. chip — in a computer
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. chip — to eat
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. spell — a short time
  19. perch — the fish
  20. spell — magic
  21. perch — for a bird
  22. mark — a grade
  23. mark — a trace
  24. mark — to pay attention

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