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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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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 · fork · craft · last · patient · cue · pitcher · suit

  1. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  2. False peace will not ________________.
  3. He is an ace ________________.
  4. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  5. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  8. He spent years learning his ________________ as a carpenter.
  9. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  12. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  15. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  16. When will it ________________ you to start?
  17. Flower arranging is a traditional ________________ in Japan.
  18. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. Small ________________ should stay in the harbor during the storm.
  23. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  24. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — a jug
  2. last — to go on
  3. pitcher — in baseball
  4. pitcher — a jug
  5. racket — for tennis
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. cue — a signal
  8. craft — a skill
  9. suit — clothes
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. fork — a garden tool
  12. suit — in cards
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. cue — a hint
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. suit — to fit
  17. craft — a handicraft
  18. last — final
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. last — finally
  21. cue — for pool
  22. craft — boats
  23. fork — to eat with
  24. fork — in a road

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