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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: pop · racket · club · patient · spell · saw · net · kid

  1. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  2. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  5. He asked the witch to reverse the ________________.
  6. How do you ________________ your surname?
  7. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  8. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  9. She's very handy with a ________________.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. We've had a long dry ________________ this summer.
  15. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. We're almost out of ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. net — in sport
  5. spell — magic
  6. spell — letters
  7. kid — to tease
  8. kid — child
  9. saw — the tool
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. net — for catching
  12. pop — music
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. spell — a short time
  15. club — for golf
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — for dancing
  18. club — a group
  19. saw — past of 'see'
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. net — after costs
  22. pop — to visit
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. pop — soda

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