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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.

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: rest · ball · patient · craft · mark · game

  1. That was a fun ________________.
  2. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  3. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  4. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  7. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  8. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  9. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  10. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  11. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  12. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  13. The King held a masked ________________.
  14. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  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. game — a match
  2. ball — a great time
  3. mark — to pay attention
  4. rest — what's left
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. rest — a break
  7. mark — a grade
  8. craft — a handicraft
  9. craft — a skill
  10. ball — a round shape
  11. game — wild animals
  12. craft — boats
  13. ball — a dance
  14. mark — a trace
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. game — a kind of play
  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