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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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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 · foot · squash · racket · stand · bore · club · bowl

  1. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  2. I'd like to play a game of ________________.
  3. I can't ________________ this cold.
  4. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  5. The president vowed to ________________ the mutiny.
  6. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  7. Use a drill to ________________ a hole in the wall.
  8. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  9. Cut the butternut ________________ into one-inch cubes.
  10. I belonged to the harmonica ________________ in my high school days.
  11. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  14. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  15. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  16. Doesn't taking care of babies ________________ you?
  17. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  18. My rich neighbors belong to a private golf ________________.
  19. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  20. Later, his shop becomes a ________________ with young dancers.
  21. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  22. She ________________ him three sons and a daughter.
  23. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  24. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.

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

Answer key

  1. foot — the bottom
  2. squash — the sport
  3. stand — to bear
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. squash — to crush
  6. bowl — a dish
  7. bore — to drill
  8. bowl — to roll
  9. squash — the vegetable
  10. club — a group
  11. foot — a measure
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. racket — for tennis
  15. stand — for spectators
  16. bore — to tire
  17. foot — part of the body
  18. club — for golf
  19. patient — calm and waiting
  20. club — for dancing
  21. bowl — a football final
  22. bore — gave birth
  23. racket — a loud noise
  24. stand — on your feet

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