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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.

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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 · firm · foot · racket · pass · leaves · chest · land

  1. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  4. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  5. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  6. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  9. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  10. He always ________________ the window open while he sleeps.
  11. We wanted to take a walk to ________________ the time.
  12. When are we going to ________________?
  13. You can't go backstage without a ________________.
  14. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  15. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  16. Algeria is a ________________ of gas and oil.
  17. I'm the one who owns all this ________________.
  18. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  19. The ________________ change colour in autumn.
  20. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  21. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  22. The train ________________ at six o'clock.
  23. No doubt you will be able to ________________ the examination.
  24. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.

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

Answer key

  1. racket — for tennis
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. foot — a measure
  4. chest — of your body
  5. firm — decided
  6. racket — for tennis
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. firm — a company
  9. foot — part of the body
  10. leaves — lets stay
  11. pass — to spend time
  12. land — to come down
  13. pass — a permit
  14. racket — a loud noise
  15. chest — a box
  16. land — a country
  17. land — ground
  18. patient — a sick person
  19. leaves — of a tree
  20. patient — a sick person
  21. firm — steady
  22. leaves — to go away
  23. pass — to succeed
  24. chest — of your 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