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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: foot · deal · row · chair · patient · cap · march · bat

  1. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  2. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. The ________________ was stolen yesterday, along with the balls.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  7. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  8. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  9. Tom didn't even ________________ an eye.
  10. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  11. The ________________ hangs upside down in the cave.
  12. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  13. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  14. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  17. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  18. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  19. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  20. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  21. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  22. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  23. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  24. 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. chair — a professorship
  2. foot — the bottom
  3. foot — a measure
  4. bat — for baseball
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. march — music
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. march — the month
  9. bat — in an idiom
  10. patient — calm and waiting
  11. bat — the animal
  12. deal — a big deal
  13. deal — an agreement
  14. row — a line
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. march — the month
  17. cap — of ice
  18. chair — a leader
  19. cap — a hat
  20. row — to paddle
  21. chair — to sit on
  22. deal — to handle
  23. cap — a lid
  24. 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