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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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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 · racket · file · kid · kick · object · suit · pass

  1. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  2. When will it ________________ you to start?
  3. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  8. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  11. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  12. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  13. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  14. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  17. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  18. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  19. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  22. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  23. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  24. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.

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

Answer key

  1. kick — a thrill
  2. suit — to fit
  3. kid — child
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. object — a thing
  8. racket — a loud noise
  9. object — an aim
  10. suit — clothes
  11. file — a tool
  12. pass — to succeed
  13. file — a document
  14. file — a line of people
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. pass — a permit
  17. kick — with a leg
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. suit — in cards
  22. object — to protest
  23. kid — to tease
  24. kick — in football

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