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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: foot · land · staff · drill · court · bank · patient · dip

  1. The ball is in your ________________.
  2. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  3. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  6. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. When are we going to ________________?
  9. The ________________ found him guilty of stealing money.
  10. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  11. Tiny blossoms have come out all over the river ________________.
  12. This ________________ always watches out for its own interests.
  13. The soldiers did ________________ on the parade ground every morning.
  14. We had a fire ________________ at school today.
  15. I'm going to the ________________ to withdraw money.
  16. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  17. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  18. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  19. When a clown is made king, the ________________ becomes a circus.
  20. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  21. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  22. I need a ________________ to install the towel rack.
  23. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  24. I have a corn on my right ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. court — for sport
  2. land — ground
  3. patient — calm and waiting
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. foot — a measure
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. land — to come down
  9. court — of law
  10. land — a country
  11. bank — of a river
  12. bank — for money
  13. drill — army training
  14. drill — a practice
  15. bank — for money
  16. dip — to sink
  17. staff — a stick
  18. staff — employees
  19. court — of a king
  20. dip — a sauce
  21. dip — to dunk
  22. drill — the tool
  23. staff — employees
  24. foot — part of the body

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