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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: racket · tube · calf · patient · tear · band · dip · court

  1. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  2. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  3. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  4. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  7. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  8. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  11. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  15. I'll be taking the ________________.
  16. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  17. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. The ball is in your ________________.
  20. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  21. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  24. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.

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

Answer key

  1. dip — a sauce
  2. dip — to sink
  3. dip — to dunk
  4. calf — of the leg
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. tube — in a tire
  7. band — a music group
  8. band — a rubber band
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. tear — from crying
  11. calf — a young animal
  12. tear — to rip
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. tube — a container
  15. tube — the underground
  16. racket — for tennis
  17. calf — a young animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. court — for sport
  20. band — a ring
  21. court — of law
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. tear — from crying
  24. court — of a king

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