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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: face · wound · can · pit · patient · game · racket · mate

  1. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  4. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  5. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  6. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  11. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  12. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  13. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  14. Have you found your soul ________________?
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  17. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  22. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?

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

Answer key

  1. wound — an injury
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. racket — a loud noise
  5. game — a kind of play
  6. can — to be able to
  7. game — a match
  8. face — part of the head
  9. game — wild animals
  10. pit — in a race
  11. wound — past of 'wind'
  12. can — a tin
  13. face — to point toward
  14. mate — a partner
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. mate — to breed
  17. face — to confront
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. pit — a fruit stone
  20. pit — a hole
  21. can — a tin
  22. wound — an injury
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. mate — a friend

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