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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: bowl · foot · racket · mark · ruler · fork · patient · last

  1. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  2. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  3. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  4. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  5. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  6. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  7. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  8. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  9. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  10. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  11. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  16. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  17. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  18. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  19. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. False peace will not ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. bowl — to roll
  3. ruler — a monarch
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. ruler — for measuring
  6. last — final
  7. fork — to eat with
  8. ruler — for measuring
  9. mark — a grade
  10. foot — part of the body
  11. racket — a loud noise
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. mark — to pay attention
  14. foot — a measure
  15. patient — a sick person
  16. last — finally
  17. bowl — a football final
  18. mark — a trace
  19. fork — a garden tool
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. fork — in a road
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. last — to go on
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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