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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 116 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: mate · cap · patient · nail · deal · march · racket · mug

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  3. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  4. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. He drove in a ________________ with his hammer.
  7. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  8. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  9. She broke her ________________ while washing the dishes.
  10. The ________________ went through the wall.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. Where did you ________________ them?
  18. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. march — the month
  3. mate — to breed
  4. cap — a lid
  5. march — music
  6. nail — for a hammer
  7. mate — a friend
  8. mug — a cup
  9. nail — on a finger
  10. nail — for a hammer
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mug — a face
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. mate — a partner
  15. deal — an agreement
  16. march — the month
  17. mug — to rob
  18. cap — of ice
  19. cap — a hat
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. deal — to handle

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