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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: present · ground · spring · suit · kick · bat · mug · patient

  1. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  2. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  3. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  4. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  5. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  8. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. There's no middle ________________.
  11. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  12. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  16. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. When will it ________________ you to start?
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  23. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  24. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — clothes
  2. bat — for baseball
  3. bat — the animal
  4. mug — a cup
  5. spring — the season
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ground — the earth
  8. mug — a face
  9. present — the time now
  10. ground — a position
  11. present — there
  12. spring — a coil
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. kick — a thrill
  16. spring — of water
  17. mug — to rob
  18. kick — in football
  19. present — a gift
  20. suit — to fit
  21. suit — in cards
  22. ground — crushed
  23. kick — with a leg
  24. bat — in an idiom

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