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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.

Make a worksheet

Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

Words on the sheet
468
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: mine · foot · bay · field · jam · net · squash · patient

  1. Close the lid of the trash can to keep odors and pests at ________________.
  2. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  3. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  4. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  7. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  8. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  9. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  10. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  11. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  12. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  13. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  14. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  15. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  16. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  17. The sailing ship dropped anchor in the ________________.
  18. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  19. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  20. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  21. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. My mare is ________________ in color.
  24. Tom got himself in a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. bay — to keep at bay
  2. net — after costs
  3. field — farmland
  4. foot — part of the body
  5. squash — to crush
  6. jam — in traffic
  7. patient — a sick person
  8. foot — a measure
  9. patient — calm and waiting
  10. net — in sport
  11. mine — belonging to me
  12. squash — the vegetable
  13. squash — the sport
  14. foot — the bottom
  15. field — a subject
  16. jam — to spread on bread
  17. bay — a part of the sea
  18. mine — for digging
  19. net — for catching
  20. field — for sport
  21. mine — an explosive
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. bay — a horse colour
  24. jam — a tight spot

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