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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 · mouse · pound · present · stand · foot · row · deal

  1. I can't ________________ this cold.
  2. A smaller training pitch was installed beside the main ________________.
  3. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.
  4. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  5. I thought I heard a ________________ in the kitchen.
  6. Jeff had to ________________ the pavement for three months before he found a job.
  7. Rodrigo's family went to the dog ________________ to adopt a dog.
  8. Actually, the ________________ method has plenty of room for improvement.
  9. The newcomer sat down at the ________________ of the table.
  10. A ________________ is equal to sixteen ounces.
  11. I have a corn on my right ________________.
  12. Did you get a birthday ________________ for him this year?
  13. We had to ________________ the boat across the lake.
  14. Heather can grow to a ________________ or so tall.
  15. The train was so full that I had to ________________ all the while.
  16. Should I buy a wireless ________________?
  17. "I don't like games like this," squeaked the ________________.
  18. The girl drawing a picture in the first ________________ is my niece.
  19. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  20. I had a ________________ with my boss today.
  21. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  22. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  23. My partner was ________________ at the birth of our baby.
  24. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.

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

Answer key

  1. stand — to bear
  2. stand — for spectators
  3. deal — a big deal
  4. patient — a sick person
  5. mouse — the animal
  6. pound — to hit hard
  7. pound — for dogs
  8. present — the time now
  9. foot — the bottom
  10. pound — a weight
  11. foot — part of the body
  12. present — a gift
  13. row — to paddle
  14. foot — a measure
  15. stand — on your feet
  16. mouse — for a computer
  17. mouse — the animal
  18. row — a line
  19. patient — a sick person
  20. row — a quarrel
  21. deal — to handle
  22. patient — calm and waiting
  23. present — there
  24. deal — an agreement

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