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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: row · racket · calf · bat · patient · pound · season · suit

  1. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  2. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  3. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  6. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  7. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  8. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  11. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  14. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. Did you ________________ the meat?
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.

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

Answer key

  1. bat — for baseball
  2. bat — the animal
  3. bat — in an idiom
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. calf — a young animal
  6. row — a quarrel
  7. pound — to hit hard
  8. suit — clothes
  9. season — of the year
  10. row — to paddle
  11. pound — a weight
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. season — in sport
  14. suit — in cards
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. season — to add flavour
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. row — a line
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. suit — to fit
  24. pound — for dogs

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