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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 · game · chest · racket · arm · pop · mouse · bark

  1. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Our dog starts to ________________ whenever the doorbell rings.
  6. My father caught me by the ________________.
  7. You don't need to ________________ round.
  8. Birch trees have smooth white ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  15. That was a fun ________________.
  16. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  17. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  18. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  19. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. The sergeant loved to ________________ orders at us.
  23. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  24. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — the animal
  2. chest — a box
  3. pop — soda
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. bark — a dog's sound
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. pop — to visit
  8. bark — of a tree
  9. game — wild animals
  10. mouse — the animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. chest — of your body
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. game — a kind of play
  15. game — a match
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. mouse — for a computer
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. chest — of your body
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. bark — to shout
  23. pop — music
  24. arm — a part of something

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