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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 124 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. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  4. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  5. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  10. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  13. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  14. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  21. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  22. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  23. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  24. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. fine — high quality
  3. staff — a stick
  4. key — the most important part
  5. staff — employees
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. fine — all right
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. calf — a young animal
  10. leaves — of a tree
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. key — for a lock
  13. staff — employees
  14. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  15. key — in music
  16. calf — a young animal
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. leaves — to go away
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — of the leg
  21. leaves — lets stay
  22. kid — to tease
  23. kid — child
  24. fine — a penalty

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