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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 116 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 · pit · bear · cue · patient · bass · rock · tear

  1. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  2. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  3. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  10. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  13. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  14. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  18. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  19. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  20. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  21. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  22. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  23. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  24. I play ________________ in a jazz band.

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

Answer key

  1. rock — music
  2. racket — a loud noise
  3. bear — the animal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. rock — a stone
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. cue — a signal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. bass — the fish
  10. bass — low music
  11. pit — a hole
  12. tear — to rip
  13. rock — to move gently
  14. tear — from crying
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. pit — in a race
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. tear — from crying
  19. bear — to put up with
  20. bear — the animal
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. cue — for pool
  23. cue — a hint
  24. bass — the instrument

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