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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 in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

  1. The farmer was ________________ with the unruly horse.
  2. I'll stand ________________ for what I deserve.
  3. I would like to have a ________________ here.
  4. The kitten curled into a ________________.
  5. They watched the sun ________________ below the horizon.
  6. The nurse administered an injection to the ________________.
  7. Part of that ________________ required him to leave the singing group.
  8. He was blown up by a land ________________.
  9. The King held a masked ________________.
  10. We need to ________________ with this problem right now.
  11. I like to ________________ a cookie in coffee.
  12. I haven't touched a tennis ________________ in years.
  13. Our cat is sitting in the apple tree, and the birds are making a ________________.
  14. The ________________ of the members were all out of tune.
  15. She's sitting on a gold ________________.
  16. The ________________ was so hot, it burned my tongue.
  17. She works as an advertiser at a New Jersey ________________.
  18. I was having a ________________ recording these guys.
  19. I met an old friend of ________________ the other day.
  20. Because of the accident, he'll have a limp for the ________________ of his life.
  21. The ________________ was transferred to the cardiology ward.
  22. He hit the ball with his ________________.
  23. Nothing provides more peace of mind than a ________________ decision.
  24. Don't make such a big ________________ out of small things.

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

Answer key

  1. patient — calm and waiting
  2. firm — steady
  3. rest — a break
  4. ball — a round shape
  5. dip — to sink
  6. patient — a sick person
  7. deal — an agreement
  8. mine — an explosive
  9. ball — a dance
  10. deal — to handle
  11. dip — to dunk
  12. racket — for tennis
  13. racket — a loud noise
  14. rest — what's left
  15. mine — for digging
  16. dip — a sauce
  17. firm — a company
  18. ball — a great time
  19. mine — belonging to me
  20. rest — what's left
  21. patient — a sick person
  22. racket — for tennis
  23. firm — decided
  24. deal — a big deal

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