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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. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  3. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. Did you ________________ the meat?
  6. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  9. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  13. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  16. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  17. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  18. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  19. I'll be taking the ________________.
  20. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  21. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  22. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  23. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  24. Spring is a pleasant ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. pitch — a sales talk
  3. hand — in cards
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. season — to add flavour
  6. club — for dancing
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. tube — in a tire
  9. season — in sport
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. hand — help
  12. hand — part of the body
  13. ruler — a monarch
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — the bottom
  16. pitch — a sports field
  17. tube — a container
  18. club — a group
  19. tube — the underground
  20. ruler — for measuring
  21. club — for golf
  22. pitch — completely
  23. ruler — for measuring
  24. season — of the year

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