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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  3. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  4. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  5. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  10. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  11. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  12. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  13. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  14. Don't do anything ________________.
  15. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  16. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  17. I seem to be developing a ________________.
  18. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  19. That was a fun ________________.
  20. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  21. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  22. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  23. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  24. The party suffered for the ________________ of party-switching.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. mouse — for a computer
  3. game — a kind of play
  4. cue — a signal
  5. object — a thing
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. foot — a measure
  9. game — wild animals
  10. chair — a leader
  11. cue — a hint
  12. mouse — the animal
  13. foot — the bottom
  14. rash — hasty
  15. cue — for pool
  16. chair — a professorship
  17. rash — on the skin
  18. chair — to sit on
  19. game — a match
  20. object — to protest
  21. patient — calm and waiting
  22. mouse — the animal
  23. object — an aim
  24. rash — a series

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