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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: stick · pit · patient · date · stand · club · rush · foot

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. You shouldn't ________________ things.
  3. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.
  4. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  7. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  8. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  9. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  10. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  11. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. Take your time. There's no ________________.
  16. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  17. Have you settled on a ________________?
  18. That must've been a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  21. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  22. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  23. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  24. I can't ________________ this cold.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. rush — to hurry
  3. stick — a piece of wood
  4. date — the fruit
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. pit — a hole
  7. pit — a fruit stone
  8. club — for golf
  9. stand — for spectators
  10. foot — a measure
  11. stick — a piece of wood
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. foot — part of the body
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. rush — hurry
  16. pit — in a race
  17. date — on the calendar
  18. rush — a thrill
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. stand — on your feet
  21. stick — to attach or keep to
  22. club — for dancing
  23. club — a group
  24. stand — to bear

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