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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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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: firm · patient · chest · rock · kick · tube · racket · mouse

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  11. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  12. I'll be taking the ________________.
  13. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  14. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  17. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  18. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  19. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  20. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  23. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  24. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. firm — decided
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. chest — of your body
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. chest — of your body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. firm — a company
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. rock — music
  11. kick — with a leg
  12. tube — the underground
  13. mouse — the animal
  14. tube — in a tire
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. tube — a container
  17. rock — a stone
  18. kick — a thrill
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. rock — to move gently
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. chest — a box
  23. kick — in football
  24. firm — steady

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