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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. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  2. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. False peace will not ________________.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  10. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  11. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  12. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  13. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  16. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. He was locked up in a ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  21. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in biology
  2. scale — in music
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. pitcher — a jug
  6. last — final
  7. last — to go on
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. band — a music group
  10. firm — steady
  11. cell — a phone
  12. firm — a company
  13. pitcher — a jug
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. scale — size or range
  16. band — a rubber band
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. cell — in a prison
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. scale — for weighing
  21. last — finally
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. firm — decided
  24. band — a ring

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