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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: racket · chair · rock · squash · last · bay · patient · suit

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. My mare is ________________ in color.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. When will it ________________ you to start?
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  11. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  14. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  17. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  18. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  19. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  20. False peace will not ________________.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. last — finally
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. bay — a horse colour
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. suit — to fit
  9. rock — a stone
  10. chair — a professorship
  11. squash — the sport
  12. suit — in cards
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. bay — to keep at bay
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. chair — a leader
  17. squash — the vegetable
  18. squash — to crush
  19. suit — clothes
  20. last — to go on
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. bay — a part of the sea
  23. last — final
  24. racket — a loud noise

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