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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  3. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  6. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  12. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  17. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  20. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  21. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  24. Should I buy a wireless ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. cue — a hint
  3. mark — a trace
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. tear — to rip
  6. degree — an amount
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tear — from crying
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. degree — temperature
  12. mark — to pay attention
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tear — from crying
  15. cue — a signal
  16. mark — a grade
  17. band — a music group
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. band — a ring
  20. cue — for pool
  21. degree — from a university
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. band — a rubber band
  24. mouse — for a computer

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