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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
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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: saw · patient · current · foot · row · last · pitcher · coach

  1. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  2. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  3. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  4. False peace will not ________________.
  5. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  6. Have you met the new head ________________?
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. He works in a ________________ mill.
  9. Is the royal ________________ prepared for the journey?
  10. At ________________, we arrived at the village.
  11. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  14. He is an ace ________________.
  15. Here is a list of ________________ job openings.
  16. She's very handy with a ________________.
  17. Today is the ________________ day of the holidays. Back to school tomorrow!
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. Let us try to swim against the ________________.
  20. Fill up this ________________ with water.
  21. The ________________ will go to the well once too often.
  22. Wood does not conduct electric ________________.
  23. We ________________ that the plan would end in failure.
  24. The ________________ told me I needed to practice harder.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — a measure
  2. patient — calm and waiting
  3. row — to paddle
  4. last — to go on
  5. foot — part of the body
  6. coach — a trainer
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. saw — the tool
  9. coach — pulled by horses
  10. last — finally
  11. patient — a sick person
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. row — a quarrel
  14. pitcher — in baseball
  15. current — happening now
  16. saw — the tool
  17. last — final
  18. row — a line
  19. current — of water
  20. pitcher — a jug
  21. pitcher — a jug
  22. current — electric
  23. saw — past of 'see'
  24. coach — a trainer

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