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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. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  2. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  5. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  6. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  7. Hold the papers together with a ________________.
  8. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  9. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  10. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  11. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  14. Did you ________________ the meat?
  15. It seems a cruel thing to ________________ a bird's wings.
  16. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  17. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  18. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  19. How can I extract the audio from a video ________________?
  20. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  21. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  24. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — part of the body
  2. club — for dancing
  3. foot — a measure
  4. net — for catching
  5. net — in sport
  6. current — happening now
  7. clip — for paper
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. season — of the year
  10. foot — the bottom
  11. season — in sport
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. club — a group
  14. season — to add flavour
  15. clip — to cut
  16. racket — a loud noise
  17. current — electric
  18. current — of water
  19. clip — a video
  20. racket — for tennis
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. net — after costs
  24. club — for golf

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