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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
468
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: ball · tube · foot · patient · rock · fan · pop · leaves

  1. Are you a huge ________________ of trains?
  2. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  3. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  4. Can you turn the ________________ on?
  5. I need a new inner ________________ for my bike tire.
  6. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  7. I don't want to ________________ the boat.
  8. I want a large ________________ of toothpaste.
  9. Which do you like better, ________________ music or classical music?
  10. I'll be taking the ________________.
  11. I am not a ________________ of shrimp.
  12. We were using a ________________ as a seat.
  13. We're almost out of ________________.
  14. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  15. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  16. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  17. The King held a masked ________________.
  18. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  19. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  20. Michael Jackson and Prince changed the history of ________________ music.
  21. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  22. You don't need to ________________ round.
  23. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. fan — a supporter
  2. leaves — lets stay
  3. patient — a sick person
  4. fan — to cool the air
  5. tube — in a tire
  6. ball — a great time
  7. rock — to move gently
  8. tube — a container
  9. rock — music
  10. tube — the underground
  11. fan — a supporter
  12. rock — a stone
  13. pop — soda
  14. patient — a sick person
  15. foot — part of the body
  16. leaves — to go away
  17. ball — a dance
  18. foot — a measure
  19. ball — a round shape
  20. pop — music
  21. foot — the bottom
  22. pop — to visit
  23. leaves — of a tree
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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