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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 120 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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. He still wears his gold wedding ________________.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. He's the lead singer in a rock ________________.
  5. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  6. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  7. He put a rubber ________________ around the bundle of letters.
  8. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  9. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  10. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  11. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  12. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  13. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  16. He has no idea where the ________________ is.
  17. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  18. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  19. Tom was very happy that his son returned home ________________ and sound.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. Is it ________________ for us to be here?
  24. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. band — a ring
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. band — a music group
  5. field — a subject
  6. current — electric
  7. band — a rubber band
  8. foot — the bottom
  9. kid — to tease
  10. current — of water
  11. current — happening now
  12. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  13. cue — a hint
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. cue — a signal
  16. safe — a strongbox
  17. field — for sport
  18. field — farmland
  19. safe — out of danger
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. cue — for pool
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. safe — out of danger
  24. kid — child

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