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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  5. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  6. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  7. That was a fun ________________.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Our bedroom windows ________________ the sea.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. She had a strange look on her ________________.
  17. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  18. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. Sooner or later you'll have to ________________ the truth.
  21. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  22. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  23. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  24. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. row — a line
  5. ruler — a monarch
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. game — a match
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. row — to paddle
  10. foot — a measure
  11. face — to point toward
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. row — a quarrel
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. face — part of the head
  17. mine — belonging to me
  18. game — a kind of play
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. face — to confront
  21. game — wild animals
  22. ruler — for measuring
  23. mine — for digging
  24. ruler — for measuring

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