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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. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  2. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  3. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  4. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  7. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  8. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  9. When will it ________________ you to start?
  10. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  11. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  14. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  15. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  16. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. Jason, who was in ________________ of the project, was dismissed for corruption.
  19. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  20. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  21. The tickets are free of ________________.
  22. Where can I ________________ my mobile?
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. mine — for digging
  2. suit — in cards
  3. present — a gift
  4. pound — a weight
  5. suit — clothes
  6. mine — an explosive
  7. rest — what's left
  8. pound — to hit hard
  9. suit — to fit
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. foot — the bottom
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. rest — what's left
  14. pound — for dogs
  15. mine — belonging to me
  16. rest — a break
  17. foot — a measure
  18. charge — in control
  19. present — the time now
  20. patient — calm and waiting
  21. charge — a price
  22. charge — electricity
  23. present — there
  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