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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: rest · cue · deal · arm · patient · ball · season · file

  1. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  6. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  7. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Did you ________________ the meat?
  10. My father caught me by the ________________.
  11. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  12. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  17. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  18. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  19. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  20. The King held a masked ________________.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. deal — to handle
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. rest — what's left
  4. file — a document
  5. ball — a round shape
  6. cue — for pool
  7. cue — a hint
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — to add flavour
  10. arm — part of the body
  11. rest — a break
  12. arm — a part of something
  13. rest — what's left
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. file — a tool
  17. season — of the year
  18. deal — a big deal
  19. ball — a great time
  20. ball — a dance
  21. season — in sport
  22. cue — a signal
  23. file — a line of people
  24. patient — a sick person

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