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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. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  7. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  8. Have you met the new head ________________?
  9. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  10. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  11. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  12. The light ________________ burned out.
  13. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  14. The kitchen ________________ is next to the microwave.
  15. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  16. Nobody expected a disaster on this ________________.
  17. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  18. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  19. Every pianist practices the C major ________________.
  20. Plant the tulip ________________ before the first frost.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  23. I've got to change the light ________________.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. stand — on your feet
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. firm — a company
  7. stand — for spectators
  8. coach — a trainer
  9. coach — a trainer
  10. straw — dry grass
  11. firm — steady
  12. bulb — for light
  13. straw — to clutch at straws
  14. scale — for weighing
  15. coach — pulled by horses
  16. scale — size or range
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. patient — calm and waiting
  19. scale — in music
  20. bulb — of a plant
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. firm — decided
  23. bulb — for light
  24. stand — to bear

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