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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. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.
  5. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  6. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  7. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  10. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  13. That must've been a ________________.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  16. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  17. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  18. Don't do anything ________________.
  19. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  20. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  23. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  24. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. rash — on the skin
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. rash — a series
  5. wound — an injury
  6. bat — for baseball
  7. rush — hurry
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. fan — to cool the air
  10. bat — the animal
  11. prune — to trim
  12. patient — calm and waiting
  13. rush — a thrill
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. bat — in an idiom
  16. rush — to hurry
  17. prune — to trim
  18. rash — hasty
  19. wound — past of 'wind'
  20. fan — a supporter
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. fan — a supporter
  23. prune — the fruit
  24. wound — an injury

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