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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 120 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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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: dip · racket · hand · rock · present · patient · net · band

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  3. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  4. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  7. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  8. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  9. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  10. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  11. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  12. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  13. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  14. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  18. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  19. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  20. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  21. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  22. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  23. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  24. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. net — in sport
  3. band — a music group
  4. present — a gift
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. rock — music
  7. racket — a loud noise
  8. net — for catching
  9. dip — to sink
  10. band — a ring
  11. hand — in cards
  12. net — after costs
  13. present — there
  14. rock — to move gently
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. present — the time now
  18. band — a rubber band
  19. hand — part of the body
  20. dip — to dunk
  21. dip — a sauce
  22. rock — a stone
  23. hand — help
  24. racket — for tennis

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