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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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: tear · ball · pass · patient · bat · mouse · cabinet · racket

  1. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  2. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  5. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  6. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  7. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  11. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  12. What do you think of the new ________________?
  13. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  14. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  15. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  16. The King held a masked ________________.
  17. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  22. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  23. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  24. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.

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

Answer key

  1. mouse — for a computer
  2. tear — from crying
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. pass — a permit
  5. cabinet — a cupboard
  6. mouse — the animal
  7. bat — in an idiom
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. pass — to succeed
  11. tear — to rip
  12. cabinet — ministers
  13. bat — the animal
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. pass — to spend time
  16. ball — a dance
  17. tear — from crying
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. bat — for baseball
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. mouse — the animal
  22. cabinet — ministers
  23. ball — a round shape
  24. ball — a great time

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