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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 116 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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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: club · squash · stick · craft · racket · patient

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  5. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  8. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  9. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  13. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. squash — the sport
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. club — for dancing
  5. craft — a skill
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. squash — to crush
  8. craft — boats
  9. stick — to attach or keep to
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. craft — a handicraft
  13. club — for golf
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. stick — a piece of wood
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. club — a group

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