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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: suit · pit · ball · mouse · patient · game · hand · squash

  1. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  2. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  3. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  4. When will it ________________ you to start?
  5. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  6. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  7. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  8. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  9. That was a fun ________________.
  10. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  13. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  14. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. The King held a masked ________________.
  22. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  23. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a great time
  2. squash — to crush
  3. pit — in a race
  4. suit — to fit
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. hand — in cards
  7. pit — a hole
  8. mouse — for a computer
  9. game — a match
  10. hand — part of the body
  11. suit — in cards
  12. ball — a round shape
  13. pit — a fruit stone
  14. suit — clothes
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. hand — help
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. ball — a dance
  22. game — wild animals
  23. squash — the sport
  24. squash — the vegetable

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