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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.

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: net · deal · prune · fine · staff · foot · patient · chest

  1. The old man leaned on his ________________.
  2. This shop sells ________________ wines and cheeses.
  3. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. I felt an uncomfortable tightness in my ________________.
  7. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  8. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  9. A ________________ is just a dried plum.
  10. It's hotel ________________. Please let me in.
  11. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  12. Do not ________________ roses in the fall.
  13. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  14. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  15. I assure you, everything's ________________.
  16. The lid of the ________________ creaked open.
  17. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. I got a ________________ for parking in the wrong place.
  20. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  21. I cannot ________________ this tree. It's too high.
  22. The office ________________ worked quickly and efficiently to resolve the problem.
  23. She laid her head on my ________________ so she could listen to my heartbeat.
  24. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.

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

Answer key

  1. staff — a stick
  2. fine — high quality
  3. deal — to handle
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. chest — of your body
  7. deal — a big deal
  8. patient — a sick person
  9. prune — the fruit
  10. staff — employees
  11. net — for catching
  12. prune — to trim
  13. patient — calm and waiting
  14. net — after costs
  15. fine — all right
  16. chest — a box
  17. foot — a measure
  18. net — in sport
  19. fine — a penalty
  20. deal — an agreement
  21. prune — to trim
  22. staff — employees
  23. chest — of your body
  24. foot — the bottom

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