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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: kick · patient · squash · racket · pit · bore · foot · wake

  1. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  4. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  5. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  6. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  7. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  8. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  9. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  10. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  11. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  12. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  15. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  19. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  20. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  24. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.

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

Answer key

  1. bore — gave birth
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. squash — the sport
  4. bore — to tire
  5. pit — in a race
  6. kick — in football
  7. wake — a trail
  8. wake — to stop sleeping
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. wake — before a funeral
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. bore — to drill
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. foot — part of the body
  15. pit — a hole
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. foot — a measure
  18. pit — a fruit stone
  19. racket — a loud noise
  20. kick — with a leg
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. squash — to crush
  24. kick — a thrill

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