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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
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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: jam · patient · pitcher · foot · mark · prune · object · chest

  1. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  4. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  5. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  6. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  7. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  8. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  9. Thanks to his efforts, he attained his ________________.
  10. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  11. He is an ace ________________.
  12. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  15. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  16. A valuable ________________ decreases in value if it is damaged.
  17. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  20. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  21. Why would I ________________ to a disabled ramp?
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  24. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — a sick person
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. chest — of your body
  4. prune — the fruit
  5. jam — a tight spot
  6. patient — calm and waiting
  7. jam — to spread on bread
  8. prune — to trim
  9. object — an aim
  10. prune — to trim
  11. pitcher — in baseball
  12. jam — in traffic
  13. foot — a measure
  14. mark — to pay attention
  15. mark — a trace
  16. object — a thing
  17. mark — a grade
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. chest — a box
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. object — to protest
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. pitcher — a jug
  24. chest — of your body

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