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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.

Make a worksheet

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 · game · chair · firm · bass · patient · calf · row

  1. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  2. That was a fun ________________.
  3. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  4. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  5. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  8. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  12. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  13. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. He had ________________ pain while walking.
  16. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  17. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. The giraffe protected her ________________ with great courage.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  23. The giraffe did all she could to defend her ________________.
  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. racket — a loud noise
  2. game — a match
  3. bass — the fish
  4. firm — decided
  5. bass — low music
  6. firm — a company
  7. game — a kind of play
  8. row — to paddle
  9. game — wild animals
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. chair — a leader
  12. chair — a professorship
  13. chair — to sit on
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. calf — of the leg
  16. row — a line
  17. firm — steady
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. calf — a young animal
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. bass — the instrument
  23. calf — a young animal
  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