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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 from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: swing · foot · deal · patient · row · ruler

  1. David sat on the ________________.
  2. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  3. In jazz, ________________ was gradually being replaced by bebop.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  6. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  7. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  8. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  9. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  10. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  11. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  12. The coach helped Matthew straighten out his golf ________________, improving his game.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  17. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  18. I had a ________________ with my boss today.

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

Answer key

  1. swing — to play on
  2. row — a line
  3. swing — music
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. foot — the bottom
  7. row — to paddle
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. deal — a big deal
  10. ruler — a monarch
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. swing — in golf
  13. foot — a measure
  14. patient — calm and waiting
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. deal — an agreement
  17. deal — to handle
  18. row — a quarrel

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