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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.

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: pitch · foot · straw · court · hide · patient · hand · staff

  1. He hasn't even shaken my ________________.
  2. The players ran onto the football ________________.
  3. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  4. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  9. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  10. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  11. Do you need a ________________ with that?
  12. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  13. Why are you trying to ________________ your feelings?
  14. I got dealt a bad ________________.
  15. The ball is in your ________________.
  16. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  19. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  20. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  21. We have nothing to ________________ here.
  22. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  23. She was laid on a cow-________________ and covered by a coarse woollen blanket.
  24. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.

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

Answer key

  1. hand — part of the body
  2. pitch — a sports field
  3. straw — a straw man
  4. court — of a king
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. staff — employees
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. staff — a stick
  9. pitch — completely
  10. patient — a sick person
  11. hand — help
  12. court — of law
  13. hide — to keep secret
  14. hand — in cards
  15. court — for sport
  16. pitch — a sales talk
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. straw — dry grass
  19. straw — to clutch at straws
  20. staff — employees
  21. hide — to keep secret
  22. patient — a sick person
  23. hide — animal skin
  24. foot — a measure

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