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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: racket · arm · cue · bore · ground · bat · wake · patient

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  3. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. I didn't ________________ up well this morning.
  8. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  9. Friends gathered at the ________________ to remember him.
  10. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  13. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  14. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. There's no middle ________________.
  17. My father caught me by the ________________.
  18. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  21. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  22. The speedboat left a long ________________ behind it.
  23. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  24. Add some ________________ pepper to it.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. ground — the earth
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. wake — to stop sleeping
  8. bore — to tire
  9. wake — before a funeral
  10. bore — gave birth
  11. bat — the animal
  12. racket — a loud noise
  13. bat — for baseball
  14. arm — part of the body
  15. bore — to drill
  16. ground — a position
  17. arm — part of the body
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. cue — a signal
  21. arm — a part of something
  22. wake — a trail
  23. cue — for pool
  24. ground — crushed

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