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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.

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: pit · shower · patient · bound · chest · key · land · racket

  1. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  4. We took cover from the thunder ________________.
  5. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  6. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  7. That was ________________ to happen.
  8. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  9. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  10. We are ________________ to obey laws.
  11. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  12. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  13. He reached out and took down a small leather ________________ book.
  14. When are we going to ________________?
  15. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  16. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  17. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  18. The dagger's metal was presumably from the same meteor ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  21. This piece is in a major ________________.
  22. He's taking a ________________ right now.
  23. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. pit — a hole
  2. chest — a box
  3. racket — for tennis
  4. shower — rain
  5. chest — of your body
  6. key — for a lock
  7. bound — certain
  8. land — a country
  9. patient — a sick person
  10. bound — obliged
  11. land — ground
  12. pit — in a race
  13. bound — tied together
  14. land — to come down
  15. pit — a fruit stone
  16. chest — of your body
  17. key — the most important part
  18. shower — a meteor shower
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. racket — a loud noise
  21. key — in music
  22. shower — to wash
  23. racket — for tennis
  24. patient — a sick person

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