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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: march · firm · date · saw · club · foot · lie · patient

  1. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  4. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  7. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  11. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  14. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. He works in a ________________ mill.
  17. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  18. She's very handy with a ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. Have you settled on a ________________?
  21. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  22. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.

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

Answer key

  1. date — the fruit
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. march — the month
  4. lie — an untruth
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. firm — steady
  7. firm — a company
  8. foot — a measure
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. lie — an untruth
  11. firm — decided
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. march — music
  14. lie — to recline
  15. club — for dancing
  16. saw — the tool
  17. club — for golf
  18. saw — the tool
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. date — on the calendar
  21. saw — past of 'see'
  22. march — the month
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. club — a group

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