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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: track · bore · squash · racket · swing · patient · mouse · perch

  1. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  5. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  6. This is my favorite ________________ on the album.
  7. He keeps ________________ of his days.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. David sat on the ________________.
  10. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. The muddy ________________ descends to a valley.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  17. The owl hooted softly from its ________________.
  18. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  19. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  20. The birds use the scarecrow as a ________________.
  21. ________________ is common in the lakes of Sweden.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — to tire
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. bore — to drill
  5. squash — the sport
  6. track — a song
  7. track — to keep track
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. swing — to play on
  10. swing — music
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. track — a path
  13. squash — to crush
  14. mouse — for a computer
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. swing — in golf
  17. perch — for a bird
  18. bore — gave birth
  19. mouse — the animal
  20. perch — for a bird
  21. perch — the fish
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. squash — the vegetable

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