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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 ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  5. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  6. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  7. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  8. That must've been a ________________.
  9. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  10. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  13. When was this ________________ built?
  14. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  15. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. rush — hurry
  5. bat — for baseball
  6. temple — a place of worship
  7. track — a song
  8. rush — a thrill
  9. track — to keep track
  10. bat — in an idiom
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. pitcher — a jug
  13. temple — a place of worship
  14. temple — side of the head
  15. rush — to hurry
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. track — a path
  18. club — for golf
  19. club — for dancing
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. racket — a loud noise
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. club — a group
  24. bat — the animal

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