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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. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  9. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  16. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  24. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. track — a song
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. track — to keep track
  8. track — a path
  9. branch — of a tree
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. pound — for dogs
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. fan — to cool the air
  16. branch — a division
  17. pound — a weight
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. fan — a supporter
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. mouse — for a computer
  24. fan — a supporter

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