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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 is an ace ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  4. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  5. It's not a deep ________________. It's just a scratch.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  8. This looks like a gunshot ________________.
  9. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  10. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  11. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  12. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  13. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  14. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  15. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  16. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  21. We ________________ up on opposing sides.
  22. This piece is in a major ________________.
  23. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. pitcher — in baseball
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. pound — to hit hard
  4. foot — a measure
  5. wound — an injury
  6. net — in sport
  7. key — the most important part
  8. wound — an injury
  9. net — for catching
  10. pitcher — a jug
  11. key — for a lock
  12. lash — an eyelash
  13. lash — a whip stroke
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. pound — a weight
  16. pitcher — a jug
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. pound — for dogs
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. net — after costs
  21. wound — past of 'wind'
  22. key — in music
  23. lash — to lash out
  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