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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.

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: patient · pop · roll · fine · foot · deal · stick · field

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  3. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  4. The teacher called the ________________ to see who was absent.
  5. You don't need to ________________ round.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. We're almost out of ________________.
  8. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  9. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. We're on a ________________ here.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  14. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  15. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  16. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  17. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  18. Grandma has made a Swiss ________________.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. Fiction is obliged to ________________ to possibilities. Truth isn't.
  21. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  22. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  23. Speak softly and carry a big ________________.
  24. This is the first time I've ever walked with a ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. field — for sport
  3. fine — high quality
  4. roll — a list
  5. pop — to visit
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. pop — soda
  8. foot — part of the body
  9. deal — an agreement
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. roll — on a roll
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. field — farmland
  14. pop — music
  15. deal — to handle
  16. field — a subject
  17. fine — a penalty
  18. roll — a cake
  19. fine — all right
  20. stick — to attach or keep to
  21. deal — a big deal
  22. foot — the bottom
  23. stick — a piece of wood
  24. stick — a piece of wood

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