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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 116 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.

Words on the sheet
468
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: plane · pit · bat · content · patient · rush · stand · racket

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  3. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  4. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  5. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  9. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  10. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  14. That must've been a ________________.
  15. The carpenter used a ________________ to smooth the door.
  16. The ________________ took off on time.
  17. In geometry, a flat surface is called a ________________.
  18. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  21. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  22. I can't ________________ this cold.
  23. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  24. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. content — videos and posts
  3. content — the amount
  4. rush — to hurry
  5. bat — in an idiom
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. rush — hurry
  9. bat — for baseball
  10. stand — on your feet
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. pit — in a race
  13. stand — for spectators
  14. rush — a thrill
  15. plane — a tool
  16. plane — an aircraft
  17. plane — in geometry
  18. racket — for tennis
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. content — happy
  21. racket — for tennis
  22. stand — to bear
  23. bat — the animal
  24. pit — a fruit stone

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