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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: foot · patient · bear · date · fork · pit · suit · chest

  1. When will it ________________ you to start?
  2. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  3. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  4. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  5. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. Have you settled on a ________________?
  8. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  9. Have you ever swallowed an apricot ________________?
  10. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  11. Jarno Trulli was disqualified for passing a red light at the ________________ exit.
  12. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. Boris sat near the fire ________________.
  15. Many happy returns to all who ________________ the name of a flower!
  16. A black ________________ roamed the forest.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  19. Why do cosmetics have an expiration ________________?
  20. The little girl was crying for the teddy ________________.
  21. A ________________ is a sweet brown fruit from a palm tree.
  22. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  23. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  24. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. suit — to fit
  2. chest — a box
  3. fork — a garden tool
  4. foot — the bottom
  5. suit — clothes
  6. fork — in a road
  7. date — on the calendar
  8. fork — to eat with
  9. pit — a fruit stone
  10. suit — in cards
  11. pit — in a race
  12. foot — part of the body
  13. foot — a measure
  14. pit — a hole
  15. bear — to put up with
  16. bear — the animal
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. chest — of your body
  19. date — on the calendar
  20. bear — the animal
  21. date — the fruit
  22. chest — of your body
  23. patient — a sick person
  24. patient — a sick person

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