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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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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: bore · bay · patient · fall · racket · row · jam · object

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  6. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  10. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  13. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  14. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  15. My mare is ________________ in color.
  16. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  17. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  18. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  19. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  20. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  23. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. object — an aim
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. bore — gave birth
  6. bore — to tire
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. bore — to drill
  10. fall — to drop
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bay — a part of the sea
  13. row — a line
  14. jam — in traffic
  15. bay — a horse colour
  16. bay — to keep at bay
  17. object — to protest
  18. row — to paddle
  19. fall — to drop
  20. jam — to spread on bread
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. fall — the season
  23. object — a thing
  24. jam — a tight spot

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