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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
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Word bank
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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: racket · clip · staff · craft · stick · patient

  1. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  2. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  3. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  4. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  5. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  10. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  11. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  18. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.

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

Answer key

  1. stick — a piece of wood
  2. craft — a handicraft
  3. stick — to attach or keep to
  4. clip — for paper
  5. clip — a video
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. craft — boats
  9. staff — employees
  10. staff — employees
  11. staff — a stick
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. craft — a skill
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. stick — a piece of wood
  18. clip — to cut

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