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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: field · sharp · patient · squash · march · mouse · key · foot

  1. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. This piece is in a major ________________.
  6. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  7. It's one o'clock ________________.
  8. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  9. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  10. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  11. He's quite ________________, isn't he?
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  14. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  15. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  16. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  17. This knife is not ________________ enough.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  20. Are you the only one who has a ________________ to this door?
  21. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  22. Hard work is the ________________ to success.
  23. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  24. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. march — the month
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. key — in music
  6. squash — the vegetable
  7. sharp — exactly
  8. patient — calm and waiting
  9. march — the month
  10. mouse — for a computer
  11. sharp — clever
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. squash — to crush
  14. field — farmland
  15. mouse — the animal
  16. march — music
  17. sharp — with an edge
  18. squash — the sport
  19. foot — a measure
  20. key — for a lock
  21. field — a subject
  22. key — the most important part
  23. mouse — the animal
  24. field — for sport

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