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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 120 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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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: rock · rule · racket · patient · ground · present · kick · trunk

  1. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  2. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  3. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  4. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  5. There's no middle ________________.
  6. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  9. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  10. The elephant has a huge ________________.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  15. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  16. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  19. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  20. The tree's ________________ was scarred by lightning strikes.
  21. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  22. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  23. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  24. I've got the luggage in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. present — a gift
  2. present — the time now
  3. present — there
  4. rock — music
  5. ground — a position
  6. rule — government
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ground — crushed
  9. rock — a stone
  10. trunk — of an elephant
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. kick — in football
  15. rock — to move gently
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. rule — a law
  19. kick — with a leg
  20. trunk — of a tree
  21. kick — a thrill
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. ground — the earth
  24. trunk — of a car

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