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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: ground · pitcher · kick · firm · patient · tube · bear · racket

  1. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  2. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  3. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I'll be taking the ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  11. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  15. There's no middle ________________.
  16. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  21. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  22. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  23. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  24. He is an ace ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bear — the animal
  2. kick — in football
  3. firm — a company
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. tube — the underground
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. kick — with a leg
  9. firm — decided
  10. bear — to put up with
  11. ground — the earth
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. ground — crushed
  15. ground — a position
  16. firm — steady
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. pitcher — a jug
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. tube — in a tire
  21. tube — a container
  22. bear — the animal
  23. kick — a thrill
  24. pitcher — in 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