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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 · file · fork · cue · march · clip · racket · mug

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  4. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  5. Is that Pat Hanrahan's ________________ looking hungry and willing.
  6. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  7. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  13. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  14. He refilled his coffee ________________.
  15. Where did you ________________ them?
  16. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  17. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  18. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  19. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  20. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  21. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. clip — a video
  4. file — a document
  5. mug — a face
  6. fork — to eat with
  7. fork — in a road
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. cue — for pool
  10. file — a tool
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. cue — a hint
  13. march — the month
  14. mug — a cup
  15. mug — to rob
  16. clip — to cut
  17. fork — a garden tool
  18. march — music
  19. file — a line of people
  20. clip — for paper
  21. cue — a signal
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. march — the month

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