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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. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  4. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  7. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  8. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  9. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  10. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  11. I'm currently on the ________________ of directors.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  14. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. This piece is in a major ________________.
  17. The captain is giving the order to ________________ the ship.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  20. He was locked up in a ________________.
  21. That must've been a ________________.
  22. ________________ games are popular in Germany.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. toast — bread
  4. toast — a drink to someone
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. perch — the fish
  7. toast — the most admired
  8. perch — for a bird
  9. rush — hurry
  10. rush — to hurry
  11. board — a committee
  12. cell — a phone
  13. key — for a lock
  14. cell — in biology
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. key — in music
  17. board — to get on
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. key — the most important part
  20. cell — in a prison
  21. rush — a thrill
  22. board — a flat piece
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. perch — for a bird

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