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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. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Many English words ________________ from Latin.
  8. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  9. The big green plant was starting to droop at the ________________.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. Scientists study ________________ cells to repair damaged tissue.
  17. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  18. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  19. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  20. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The King held a masked ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. toast — the most admired
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. stem — to come from
  8. leaves — to go away
  9. stem — of a plant
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. current — electric
  13. bat — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. current — happening now
  16. stem — a stem cell
  17. leaves — of a tree
  18. bat — in an idiom
  19. leaves — lets stay
  20. ball — a great time
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. current — of water
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. ball — a dance

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