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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: patient · calf · race · leaves · racket · march · content · nail

  1. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  6. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  7. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  8. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  9. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  10. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  11. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  12. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  13. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. The ________________ went through the wall.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  20. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  21. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  22. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  23. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  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. race — a contest
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. leaves — of a tree
  6. race — the arms race
  7. content — the amount
  8. leaves — lets stay
  9. content — videos and posts
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. race — humankind
  12. content — happy
  13. calf — a young animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. march — music
  17. nail — for a hammer
  18. march — the month
  19. leaves — to go away
  20. nail — for a hammer
  21. calf — of the leg
  22. march — the month
  23. nail — on a finger
  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