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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: hide · key · racket · fine · bat · patient

  1. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  8. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  9. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  13. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This piece is in a major ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  18. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.

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

Answer key

  1. fine — high quality
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. hide — to keep secret
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. key — for a lock
  7. fine — a penalty
  8. key — the most important part
  9. hide — animal skin
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. bat — the animal
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. key — in music
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. fine — all right
  18. bat — for baseball

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