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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: racket · bat · degree · wound · date · patient · leaves · nail

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  4. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  5. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. To what ________________ are you interested in baseball?
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  11. A university ________________ is the ticket to a successful career.
  12. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  13. Have you settled on a ________________?
  14. In my city, the temperature is one ________________ above zero.
  15. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  16. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  17. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  18. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  21. The ________________ went through the wall.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. bat — for baseball
  4. leaves — lets stay
  5. leaves — to go away
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. degree — an amount
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. date — on the calendar
  11. degree — from a university
  12. wound — past of 'wind'
  13. date — on the calendar
  14. degree — temperature
  15. date — the fruit
  16. nail — on a finger
  17. wound — an injury
  18. leaves — of a tree
  19. wound — an injury
  20. bat — the animal
  21. nail — for a hammer
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. racket — for tennis

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