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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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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 · racket · squash · firm · bowl · coach · foot · kid

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. Don't ________________ yourself. You couldn't afford to buy a house like this.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  5. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  10. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  11. We've got to handle this with ________________ gloves.
  12. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  13. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  14. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  15. I had chicken pox when I was a ________________.
  16. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  17. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  18. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  19. Have you met the new head ________________?
  20. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  23. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  24. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. kid — to tease
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. racket — for tennis
  5. patient — calm and waiting
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. firm — steady
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. firm — decided
  10. firm — a company
  11. kid — young goat (kid gloves)
  12. squash — the sport
  13. squash — the vegetable
  14. coach — pulled by horses
  15. kid — child
  16. squash — to crush
  17. racket — for tennis
  18. racket — a loud noise
  19. coach — a trainer
  20. coach — a trainer
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. bowl — to roll
  23. bowl — a dish
  24. bowl — a football final

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