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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: stand · foot · fork · arm · kick · cue · content · patient

  1. I'll take my ________________ from you.
  2. We usually eat with a knife, ________________ and spoon.
  3. Buy me a box of chocolates and I'll be ________________.
  4. I can't ________________ this cold.
  5. Check the label for the sugar ________________.
  6. We came to a ________________ in the road and had no idea which direction to go.
  7. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  8. I get a ________________ out of her cheerful personality.
  9. You can't play pool without a ________________ stick.
  10. Use a garden ________________ to turn the soil.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  13. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  14. One ________________ from a giraffe's hind leg is enough to kill a lion.
  15. They were given a penalty ________________ just minutes from the end.
  16. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  17. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  18. My father caught me by the ________________.
  19. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  20. She sat on the ________________ of the sofa.
  21. I'd give my right ________________ to be ambidextrous.
  22. When I cough twice, that's your ________________ to come into the room.
  23. TikTok makes it very easy to create ________________.
  24. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.

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

Answer key

  1. cue — a hint
  2. fork — to eat with
  3. content — happy
  4. stand — to bear
  5. content — the amount
  6. fork — in a road
  7. foot — the bottom
  8. kick — a thrill
  9. cue — for pool
  10. fork — a garden tool
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. patient — a sick person
  13. patient — a sick person
  14. kick — with a leg
  15. kick — in football
  16. foot — a measure
  17. stand — on your feet
  18. arm — part of the body
  19. stand — for spectators
  20. arm — a part of something
  21. arm — part of the body
  22. cue — a signal
  23. content — videos and posts
  24. patient — calm and waiting

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