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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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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: game · row · prune · patient · club · foot · arm · lean

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. Vegetables slowly ________________ towards the light.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. That was a fun ________________.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. He is as ________________ as a wolf.
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. Don't ________________ against the wall. It's just been painted.
  11. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  12. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  13. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  16. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  19. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  20. My father caught me by the ________________.
  21. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  22. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  23. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  24. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. lean — to bend
  3. foot — a measure
  4. game — a match
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. arm — part of the body
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. lean — thin
  9. club — for dancing
  10. lean — to rest against
  11. prune — the fruit
  12. row — to paddle
  13. game — wild animals
  14. row — a line
  15. club — a group
  16. foot — the bottom
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. foot — part of the body
  19. prune — to trim
  20. arm — part of the body
  21. row — a quarrel
  22. club — for golf
  23. arm — a part of something
  24. prune — to trim

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