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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. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  4. A trickle of blood ran from her ________________ down her cheek.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  7. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  10. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  11. The fisherman caught a huge ________________.
  12. I play ________________ in a jazz band.
  13. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  14. When was this ________________ built?
  15. Your daily life is your ________________ and your religion.
  16. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  17. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. There's no middle ________________.
  20. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  21. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Turn up the ________________ so we can feel the beat.
  24. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.

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

Answer key

  1. saw — the tool
  2. foot — a measure
  3. ground — crushed
  4. temple — side of the head
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — past of 'see'
  7. field — farmland
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. toast — the most admired
  10. field — a subject
  11. bass — the fish
  12. bass — the instrument
  13. field — for sport
  14. temple — a place of worship
  15. temple — a place of worship
  16. toast — bread
  17. toast — a drink to someone
  18. saw — the tool
  19. ground — a position
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — part of the body
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. bass — low music
  24. ground — the earth

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