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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: land · fall · bore · fork · foot · can · patient · pit

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. He who climbs up, will ________________ down.
  3. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  4. My stomach aches so much that I can't ________________ asleep.
  5. ________________ you help me carry this box?
  6. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  7. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  10. Recycle the empty soda ________________.
  11. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  12. In the ________________, covers are put over the fans in trains.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  15. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  16. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  20. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. Tom opened a ________________ of soup.
  23. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. fall — to drop
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fall — to drop
  5. can — to be able to
  6. pit — in a race
  7. bore — to tire
  8. land — to come down
  9. land — ground
  10. can — a tin
  11. fork — to eat with
  12. fall — the season
  13. foot — a measure
  14. fork — a garden tool
  15. bore — to drill
  16. pit — a fruit stone
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. bore — gave birth
  20. pit — a hole
  21. fork — in a road
  22. can — a tin
  23. land — a country
  24. foot — part of the body

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