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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: pop · racket · pit · cell · object · patient · mouse · tear

  1. Drying a ________________ is more honorable than shedding torrents of blood.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. We're almost out of ________________.
  4. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. It is only in accepting others that we can ________________ down our own barriers.
  9. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  10. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  11. I cannot shed a ________________ for that horrible man.
  12. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  16. You don't need to ________________ round.
  17. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  18. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  19. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  20. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  21. He was locked up in a ________________.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.

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

Answer key

  1. tear — from crying
  2. cell — in biology
  3. pop — soda
  4. pop — music
  5. cell — a phone
  6. pit — a fruit stone
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. tear — to rip
  9. object — a thing
  10. pit — a hole
  11. tear — from crying
  12. object — to protest
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. pop — to visit
  17. object — an aim
  18. mouse — for a computer
  19. racket — for tennis
  20. pit — in a race
  21. cell — in a prison
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. mouse — the animal

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