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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  4. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  5. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  6. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  9. He was locked up in a ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Have you met the new head ________________?
  15. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  18. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  19. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  20. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  23. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  24. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. coach — pulled by horses
  4. ball — a great time
  5. deal — an agreement
  6. cell — a phone
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. cell — in a prison
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. deal — to handle
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. coach — a trainer
  15. ball — a round shape
  16. ball — a dance
  17. cell — in biology
  18. face — to confront
  19. scale — size or range
  20. scale — in music
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. face — to point toward
  23. face — part of the head
  24. scale — for weighing

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