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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 120 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: stand · cap · patient · foot · saw · club · race · fine

  1. He works in a ________________ mill.
  2. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  3. Can you put the ________________ back on the pen?
  4. It's best to wear a ________________ on your head during the cold Moscow winters.
  5. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  6. She's very handy with a ________________.
  7. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  8. The polar ice ________________ is melting.
  9. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  10. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  11. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  12. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  15. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. I can't ________________ this cold.
  18. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  19. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  20. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  21. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  22. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  23. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  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. saw — the tool
  2. foot — part of the body
  3. cap — a lid
  4. cap — a hat
  5. patient — a sick person
  6. saw — the tool
  7. race — a contest
  8. cap — of ice
  9. club — for golf
  10. fine — a penalty
  11. patient — calm and waiting
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. race — the arms race
  14. race — humankind
  15. club — for dancing
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stand — to bear
  18. foot — the bottom
  19. fine — all right
  20. stand — for spectators
  21. stand — on your feet
  22. saw — past of 'see'
  23. fine — high quality
  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