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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: club · pitch · foot · lie · snap · patient · racket · jam

  1. The hunter does not ________________ down with the prey.
  2. When I ________________ my fingers, you'll wake up.
  3. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Is it always a sin to tell a ________________?
  6. Tom got himself in a ________________.
  7. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  8. Would you like some apricot ________________?
  9. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  10. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  11. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  12. She's preparing to ________________ her idea to the investors.
  13. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  14. You don't have to ________________ at me like that.
  15. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  16. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  17. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  18. A ________________ is a veil over the lips.
  19. ________________ out of it! You haven't done a thing all week.
  20. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  21. The room was ________________ black, so I couldn't see a thing.
  22. The bus was late because of the traffic ________________.
  23. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  24. The players ran onto the football ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. lie — to recline
  2. snap — to click
  3. foot — part of the body
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. lie — an untruth
  6. jam — a tight spot
  7. racket — for tennis
  8. jam — to spread on bread
  9. club — for dancing
  10. racket — for tennis
  11. club — for golf
  12. pitch — a sales talk
  13. foot — a measure
  14. snap — to speak sharply
  15. racket — a loud noise
  16. patient — a sick person
  17. patient — calm and waiting
  18. lie — an untruth
  19. snap — to snap out of it
  20. club — a group
  21. pitch — completely
  22. jam — in traffic
  23. foot — the bottom
  24. pitch — a sports field

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