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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 116 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. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  7. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  8. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  11. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  12. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  15. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  16. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  17. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  18. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  19. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  20. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  21. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  22. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — a loud noise
  2. bat — the animal
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. bat — in an idiom
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. prune — to trim
  7. lean — thin
  8. lean — to rest against
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. prune — the fruit
  11. chip — in a computer
  12. leaves — to go away
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. chip — to eat
  15. leaves — of a tree
  16. perch — for a bird
  17. chip — for betting
  18. perch — the fish
  19. prune — to trim
  20. leaves — lets stay
  21. lean — to bend
  22. perch — for a bird
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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