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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: last · bank · bat · cue · pitcher · dip · patient · racket

  1. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  2. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  10. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  13. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  14. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. He is an ace ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  23. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  24. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.

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

Answer key

  1. last — finally
  2. pitcher — a jug
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. cue — a hint
  5. last — to go on
  6. dip — a sauce
  7. cue — a signal
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. bank — for money
  10. bat — for baseball
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. dip — to sink
  13. bank — for money
  14. bank — of a river
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. bat — in an idiom
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. pitcher — in baseball
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bat — the animal
  23. last — final
  24. cue — for pool

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