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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 lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  6. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.
  11. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  12. She's very handy with a ________________.
  13. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  14. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  15. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  18. He works in a ________________ mill.
  19. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. The ball is in your ________________.
  24. That must've been a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. chest — a box
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. chest — of your body
  4. court — of a king
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. scale — in music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. court — of law
  10. root — the cause
  11. scale — size or range
  12. saw — the tool
  13. rush — hurry
  14. root — of a plant
  15. scale — for weighing
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. chest — of your body
  18. saw — the tool
  19. rush — to hurry
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. root — of a word
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. court — for sport
  24. rush — a thrill

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