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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: rule · racket · court · wave · tear · drill · patient · branch

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  3. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  4. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  5. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  8. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  9. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  10. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  11. The ball is in your ________________.
  12. Biology is a ________________ of science.
  13. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  14. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  15. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  16. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. Our bank has a ________________ near the station.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.
  21. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  22. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  23. He chopped down the ________________ with an ax.
  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 — for tennis
  2. wave — a sudden rise
  3. drill — army training
  4. tear — from crying
  5. drill — a practice
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. rule — a law
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. racket — a loud noise
  10. tear — to rip
  11. court — for sport
  12. branch — a division
  13. rule — to rule out
  14. drill — the tool
  15. court — of law
  16. rule — government
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. branch — of a bank
  19. court — of a king
  20. wave — with your hand
  21. tear — from crying
  22. wave — of the sea
  23. branch — of a tree
  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