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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: foot · patient · cue · toast · racket · ground · row · net

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. Add some ________________ pepper to it.
  5. I like lots of butter on my ________________ in the morning.
  6. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  7. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  10. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  11. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  12. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. I would like to propose a ________________ on your birthday.
  15. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  16. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  17. The ________________ was covered with snow, as far as the eye could see.
  18. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  19. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  20. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  21. There's no middle ________________.
  22. After the show, she was the ________________ of the town.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. foot — a measure
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. ground — crushed
  5. toast — bread
  6. net — in sport
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. cue — a hint
  10. racket — a loud noise
  11. row — a quarrel
  12. row — a line
  13. row — to paddle
  14. toast — a drink to someone
  15. racket — for tennis
  16. net — after costs
  17. ground — the earth
  18. cue — a signal
  19. cue — for pool
  20. net — for catching
  21. ground — a position
  22. toast — the most admired
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. foot — the bottom

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