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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: patient · toast · racket · season · pass · mark · chair · hand

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  4. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. Did you ________________ the meat?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  10. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  11. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  12. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  13. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  14. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  15. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  16. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  17. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  22. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  23. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  24. I got dealt a bad ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. hand — part of the body
  4. chair — a leader
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. season — to add flavour
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. mark — a trace
  9. hand — help
  10. pass — to spend time
  11. pass — to succeed
  12. toast — bread
  13. mark — a grade
  14. chair — to sit on
  15. patient — calm and waiting
  16. toast — a drink to someone
  17. chair — a professorship
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. toast — the most admired
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. season — in sport
  22. pass — a permit
  23. season — of the year
  24. hand — in cards

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