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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 · plane · patient · fork · wound · pitcher · racket · rest

  1. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  2. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. The ________________ took off on time.
  6. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  10. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  11. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  12. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  13. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  16. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  22. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. present — there
  2. wound — an injury
  3. rest — a break
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. plane — an aircraft
  6. plane — in geometry
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. present — the time now
  10. fork — to eat with
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. rest — what's left
  13. wound — past of 'wind'
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. present — a gift
  16. fork — in a road
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. wound — an injury
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. plane — a tool
  22. rest — what's left
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. racket — for tennis

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