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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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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: chair · rest · foot · root · pit · game · patient · mouse

  1. Roulette is a ________________ of chance.
  2. The pointer is employed to find upland ________________.
  3. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  4. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  7. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  10. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  11. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  12. James Baker serves as an Honorary Co-________________ for the World Justice Project.
  13. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  14. Professor Sir Peter Hirsch formerly held the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The ________________ of 'teacher' is 'teach'.
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ of a dandelion is edible, too.
  22. That was a fun ________________.
  23. I put the bag on or beside the ________________.
  24. We need to address the ________________ of the problem.

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

Answer key

  1. game — a kind of play
  2. game — wild animals
  3. mouse — the animal
  4. patient — calm and waiting
  5. foot — a measure
  6. rest — what's left
  7. mouse — for a computer
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. rest — a break
  10. pit — a fruit stone
  11. pit — a hole
  12. chair — a leader
  13. pit — in a race
  14. chair — a professorship
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. root — of a word
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. foot — the bottom
  20. rest — what's left
  21. root — of a plant
  22. game — a match
  23. chair — to sit on
  24. root — the cause

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