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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: patient · band · object · mug · ball · racket · cap · spring

  1. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  2. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  3. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The King held a masked ________________.
  8. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  9. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  10. Where did you ________________ them?
  11. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  12. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  13. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  16. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  17. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. The hotel is built around a mineral ________________.
  20. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  21. There's a broken ________________ in the bed.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. The flowers bloom in the ________________.
  24. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. object — a thing
  2. mug — a face
  3. object — an aim
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. ball — a dance
  8. band — a ring
  9. cap — of ice
  10. mug — to rob
  11. object — to protest
  12. band — a music group
  13. band — a rubber band
  14. mug — a cup
  15. cap — a hat
  16. ball — a round shape
  17. ball — a great time
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. spring — of water
  20. cap — a lid
  21. spring — a coil
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. spring — the season
  24. racket — a loud noise

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