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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: racket · mark · dip · calf · cell · patient · present · net

  1. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  10. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  13. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  14. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. He was locked up in a ________________.
  18. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  19. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  20. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  21. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  22. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  23. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  24. He had ________________ pain while walking.

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

Answer key

  1. net — for catching
  2. cell — in biology
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. dip — a sauce
  5. dip — to sink
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. dip — to dunk
  8. present — the time now
  9. net — after costs
  10. calf — a young animal
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. mark — a grade
  13. racket — for tennis
  14. net — in sport
  15. mark — a trace
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. cell — in a prison
  18. present — there
  19. present — a gift
  20. mark — to pay attention
  21. calf — a young animal
  22. racket — a loud noise
  23. cell — a phone
  24. calf — of the leg

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