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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 120 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 · rest · pound · bowl · racket · cue

  1. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  2. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  3. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  4. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  8. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  9. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  12. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  17. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  18. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. rest — what's left
  3. cue — a hint
  4. pound — to hit hard
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. cue — for pool
  8. cue — a signal
  9. bowl — to roll
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. pound — for dogs
  12. rest — a break
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. rest — what's left
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. bowl — a football final
  17. pound — a weight
  18. bowl — a dish

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