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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: prune · jam · wave · ball · net · bat · spell · patient

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The King held a masked ________________.
  3. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  6. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  7. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  12. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  13. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  14. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  15. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  18. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  19. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  20. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  21. How do you ________________ your surname?
  22. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  23. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  24. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. ball — a dance
  3. jam — to spread on bread
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. wave — of the sea
  6. bat — the animal
  7. net — in sport
  8. net — for catching
  9. spell — a short time
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. prune — to trim
  12. wave — a sudden rise
  13. ball — a round shape
  14. ball — a great time
  15. net — after costs
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. spell — magic
  18. jam — a tight spot
  19. bat — in an idiom
  20. jam — in traffic
  21. spell — letters
  22. wave — with your hand
  23. bat — for baseball
  24. prune — to trim

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