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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: bowl · lean · patient · saw · racket · ground · pitcher · bass

  1. There's no middle ________________.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  4. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  5. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  9. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  10. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  11. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  12. He works in a ________________ mill.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  15. He is an ace ________________.
  16. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  17. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  18. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  19. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  20. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. She's very handy with a ________________.
  23. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  24. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.

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

Answer key

  1. ground — a position
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. pitcher — a jug
  4. bass — the fish
  5. racket — a loud noise
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. ground — the earth
  9. racket — for tennis
  10. lean — thin
  11. pitcher — a jug
  12. saw — the tool
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. bass — low music
  15. pitcher — in baseball
  16. bowl — a dish
  17. bass — the instrument
  18. saw — past of 'see'
  19. bowl — a football final
  20. lean — to rest against
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. saw — the tool
  23. ground — crushed
  24. lean — to bend

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