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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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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: mouse · rest · racket · pit · bowl · patient

  1. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  2. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  10. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.

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

Answer key

  1. bowl — a dish
  2. bowl — a football final
  3. pit — in a race
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. rest — a break
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. mouse — the animal
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rest — what's left
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — a hole
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. rest — what's left

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