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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: racket · patient · fall · deal · current · net · mine · safe

  1. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  2. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  3. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  4. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  5. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  6. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  13. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  14. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  15. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  18. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  19. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  23. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. fall — to drop
  2. racket — for tennis
  3. mine — for digging
  4. net — after costs
  5. fall — to drop
  6. fall — the season
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. mine — belonging to me
  10. deal — to handle
  11. net — for catching
  12. mine — an explosive
  13. safe — a strongbox
  14. safe — out of danger
  15. deal — a big deal
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. current — of water
  18. current — electric
  19. current — happening now
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. safe — out of danger
  23. net — in sport
  24. patient — a sick person

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