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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: squash · firm · patient · foot · field · mark · ruler · cell

  1. She got the top ________________ in the exam.
  2. ________________ my words: he'll be late again.
  3. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  4. The people resisted their cruel ________________.
  5. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  6. Vegetables are growing on this ________________.
  7. She's an expert in the ________________ of medicine.
  8. The hot cup left a ________________ on the table.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. A ________________ helps one to draw a straight line.
  12. He was locked up in a ________________.
  13. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  14. Borders were drawn on the map using a ________________, with no regard for cultural realities on the ground.
  15. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  16. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  19. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  20. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. The stadium has a track around the football ________________.
  23. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  24. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.

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

Answer key

  1. mark — a grade
  2. mark — to pay attention
  3. firm — steady
  4. ruler — a monarch
  5. cell — a phone
  6. field — farmland
  7. field — a subject
  8. mark — a trace
  9. firm — decided
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. ruler — for measuring
  12. cell — in a prison
  13. cell — in biology
  14. ruler — for measuring
  15. foot — a measure
  16. patient — calm and waiting
  17. firm — a company
  18. squash — the sport
  19. squash — to crush
  20. foot — part of the body
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. field — for sport
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. squash — the vegetable

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