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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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Word bank
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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: season · foot · bowl · patient · row · racket · last · suit

  1. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  2. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  3. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  4. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  5. False peace will not ________________.
  6. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  9. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  10. Did you ________________ the meat?
  11. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  12. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. Spring is a pleasant ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  18. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  19. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. They retained the League and Cup in his second ________________.
  23. When will it ________________ you to start?
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. row — a quarrel
  2. suit — clothes
  3. racket — a loud noise
  4. bowl — to roll
  5. last — to go on
  6. foot — a measure
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. racket — for tennis
  9. last — final
  10. season — to add flavour
  11. racket — for tennis
  12. last — finally
  13. row — to paddle
  14. row — a line
  15. season — of the year
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. patient — a sick person
  18. suit — in cards
  19. bowl — a dish
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. season — in sport
  23. suit — to fit
  24. bowl — a football final

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