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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: file · foot · fork · suit · patient · race · net · straw

  1. The goat rested comfortably on a soft bed of ________________.
  2. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  3. We walked down the narrow path in single ________________.
  4. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  5. It always has to be a ________________ man with them.
  6. He took the fish out of the ________________.
  7. A drowning man will clutch at a ________________.
  8. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  9. The information is stored in a ________________ on my computer.
  10. What was your ________________ profit last year?
  11. Positive actions can inspire others to follow ________________.
  12. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  13. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. He rubbed the rust off with a ________________.
  16. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  17. When will it ________________ you to start?
  18. The ball hit the back of the ________________.
  19. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  20. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  21. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  22. The cuffs of his ________________ jacket are badly frayed.
  23. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  24. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.

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

Answer key

  1. straw — dry grass
  2. patient — a sick person
  3. file — a line of people
  4. race — a contest
  5. straw — a straw man
  6. net — for catching
  7. straw — to clutch at straws
  8. fork — a garden tool
  9. file — a document
  10. net — after costs
  11. suit — in cards
  12. fork — in a road
  13. race — the arms race
  14. foot — a measure
  15. file — a tool
  16. foot — part of the body
  17. suit — to fit
  18. net — in sport
  19. race — humankind
  20. foot — the bottom
  21. fork — to eat with
  22. suit — clothes
  23. patient — calm and waiting
  24. patient — a sick person

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