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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. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  3. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  7. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  12. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  13. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  14. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  15. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  19. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  20. We're on a ________________ here.
  21. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. chair — to sit on
  3. chair — a professorship
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. calf — of the leg
  7. perch — for a bird
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. chair — a leader
  11. roll — a cake
  12. calf — a young animal
  13. bark — to shout
  14. roll — a list
  15. perch — for a bird
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. bark — a dog's sound
  19. perch — the fish
  20. roll — on a roll
  21. bark — of a tree
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. mouse — 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