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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mate · patient · land · ball · lash · foot · pitcher · toast

  1. The King held a masked ________________.
  2. Males and females first ________________ when two years old.
  3. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. Excuse me, sorry ________________, you haven't got the time have you?
  6. He is an ace ________________.
  7. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  8. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  9. The spa offers ________________ extensions.
  10. Don't ________________ out at me just because you're upset.
  11. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  12. He felt the sting of the whip's ________________.
  13. When are we going to ________________?
  14. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  15. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  16. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  17. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  20. Have you found your soul ________________?
  21. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  22. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  23. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  24. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.

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

Answer key

  1. ball — a dance
  2. mate — to breed
  3. land — ground
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. mate — a friend
  6. pitcher — in baseball
  7. patient — calm and waiting
  8. toast — a drink to someone
  9. lash — an eyelash
  10. lash — to lash out
  11. ball — a round shape
  12. lash — a whip stroke
  13. land — to come down
  14. pitcher — a jug
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. ball — a great time
  17. pitcher — a jug
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. land — a country
  20. mate — a partner
  21. toast — bread
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. foot — a measure
  24. toast — the most admired

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