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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: patient · object · ground · cell · racket · craft

  1. He was locked up in a ________________.
  2. There's no middle ________________.
  3. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  4. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  5. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  12. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. cell — in a prison
  2. ground — a position
  3. cell — in biology
  4. craft — a skill
  5. ground — crushed
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. craft — a handicraft
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. craft — boats
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. object — a thing
  12. cell — a phone
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. ground — the earth
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. object — an aim
  17. object — to protest
  18. racket — a loud noise

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